title: Changes in amino acids and nitric oxide concentration in cerebrospinal fluid during labor pain.
abstract: This study analyzes the relationship between amino acids and pain perception during active labor. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of the excitatory amino acids (EAAs)-glutamate, aspartate and their amide forms, inhibitory amino acids (IAAs)-glycine, gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) and taurine and nitric oxide (NO) related compounds-arginine and citrulline (by-product of NO synthesis) were compared between pregnant women at term pregnancy with labor pain (n = 38) and without labor pain (Caesarian section; n = 30). The levels of aspartate, glycine, GABA and citrulline were significantly higher; whilst taurine was significantly lower in the labor pain group. These findings suggest that aspartate and NO are associated with labor pain. An inhibitory role for the IAA taurine and a pronociceptive role for glycine in labor pain are proposed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, National University of Singapore, 5 Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 119074, Singapore. anast@nus.edu.sg
authors.forename: Rama
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sethuraman
authors.forename: Tat-Leang
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jen-Wun
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Chui
authors.forename: Shinro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tachibana
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D048949:Labor Pain / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D009569:Nitric Oxide