Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Levels of amino acids in 52 discrete areas of postmortem brain of adult and aged humans

  • Published:
Amino Acids Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

In a series of studies we have analyzed the regional distribution of the free amino acid pool in 52 discrete areas of postmortem brain of adult and aged humans. Here we show the distribution of eleven amino acids: alanine, methionine, valine, leucine, isoleucine, glutamine, asparagine, lysine, arginine, ornithine, and histidine. As found previously for other amino acids, the distribution of these amino acids was seen to be heterogeneous, the level of the area of highest level being 3.4 to 10.7 times that of the area of the lowest level. On average we found a five- or six-fold difference in concentration between the highest and lowest level areas in the brain samples from adult and old respectively. The distribution patterns were found to be different for each amino acid; they were not similar even in the same class (amides, branched chain, basic amino acids), and they were different from those recently found in rat brain. Only a few changes, mostly increases, were found in the aged brain, such as increases in alanine and valine levels in cortical areas. In studies of changes in cerebral amino acid levels, the great regional heterogeneity of distribution has to be taken into account since changes in whole brain values may not reflect regional changes. The functional significance and the control of this regional heterogeneity are under investigation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Banay-Schwartz M, Lajtha A, Palkovits M (1989a) Changes with aging in the levels of amino acids in rat CNS structural elements. I. Glutamate and related amino acids. Neurochem Res 14: 555–562

    Google Scholar 

  • Banay-Schwartz M, Lajtha A, Palkovits M (1989b) Changes with aging in the levels of amino acids in rat CNS structural elements II. Taurine and small neutral amino acids. Neurochem Res 14: 563–570

    Google Scholar 

  • Banay-Schwartz M, Lajtha A, Palkovits M (1990a) Changes with aging in the lvels of amino acids in rat CNS structural elements: III. Large neutral amino acids. J Neurosci Res 26: 209–216

    Google Scholar 

  • Banay-Schwartz M, Lajtha A, Palkovits M (1990b) Changes with aging in the levels of amino acids in rat CNS structural elements: IV. Methionine and basic amino acids. J Neurosci Res 26: 217–223

    Google Scholar 

  • Banay-Schwartz M, Kenessey A, DeGuzman T, Lajtha A, Palkovits M (1992a) Protein content of various regions of rat brain and adult and aging human brain. Age 15: 51–54

    Google Scholar 

  • Banay-Schwartz M, Lajtha A, Palkovits M (1992b) Regional distribution of glutamate and aspartate in adult and old human brain. Brain Res 594: 343–346

    Google Scholar 

  • Banay-Schwartz M, Palkovits M, Lajtha A (1993) Heterogeneous distribution of functionally important amino acids in brain areas of adult and aging humans. Neurochem Res 18: 417–423

    Google Scholar 

  • Battistin L, Lajtha A (1970) Regional distribution and movement of amino acids in the brain. J Neurol Sci 10: 313–322

    Google Scholar 

  • Battistin L, Grynbaum A, Lajtha A (1969) Distribution and uptake of amino acids in various regions of the cat brainin vitro. J Neurochem 16: 1459–1468

    Google Scholar 

  • Donzanti BA, Ung AK (1990) Alterations in neurotransmitter amino acid content in the aging rat striatum are subregion dependent. Neurobiol Aging 11: 159–162

    Google Scholar 

  • Dunlop DS, van Elden W, Lajtha A (1975) A method for measuring brain protein synthesis rates in young and adult rats. J Neurochem 24: 337–344

    Google Scholar 

  • Elekes I, Patthy A, Lang T, Palkovits M (1986) Concentrations of GABA and glycine in discrete brain nuclei: stress-induced changes in the levels of inhibitory amino acids. Neuropharmacology 25: 703–709

    Google Scholar 

  • van Gelder NM, Siatitsas I, Menini C, Gloor P (1983) Feline generalized penicillin epilepsy: changes of glutamic acid and taurine parallel the progressive increase in excitability of the cortex. Epilepsia 24: 200–213

    Google Scholar 

  • Guilarte TR (1989) Regional changes in the concentrations of glutamate, glycine, taurine, and GABA in the vitamin B-6 deficient developing rat brain: association with neonatal seizures. Neurochem Res 14: 889–897

    Google Scholar 

  • Huether G, Lajtha A (1991) Changes in free amino acid concentrations in serum, brain, and CSF throughout embryogenesis. Neurochem Res 16: 145–150

    Google Scholar 

  • Hughes JV, Johnson TC (1976) The effects of phenylalanine on amino acid metabolism and protein synthesis in brain cells in vitro. J Neurochem 26: 1105–1113

    Google Scholar 

  • Hughes JV, Johnson TC (1977) Hyperphenylalanemia: effect on brain polyribosomes can be partially reversed by other amino acids. Science 195: 402–404

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunter C, Chung E, Van Woert MH (1989) Age-dependent changes in brain glycine concentration and strychnine-induced seizures in the rat. Brain Res 482: 247–251

    Google Scholar 

  • Jansen KLR, Faull RLM, Dragunow M, Leslie RA (1991) Distribution of excitatory and inhibitory amino acid, sigma, monoamine, catecholamine, acetylcholine, opioid, neurotensin, substance P, adenosine and neuropeptide Y receptors in human motor and somatosensory cortex. Brain Res 566: 225–238

    Google Scholar 

  • Kandera J, Levi G, Lajtha A (1968) Control of cerebral metabolite levels — II. Amino acid uptake and levels in various areas of the rat brain. Arch Biochem Biophys 126: 249–260

    Google Scholar 

  • Lajtha A, Toth J (1973) Perinatal changes in the free amino acid pool of the brain in mice. Brain Res 55: 238–241

    Google Scholar 

  • Lajtha A, Toth J (1974) Postmortem changes in the cerebral free amino acid pool. Brain Res 76: 546–551

    Google Scholar 

  • Lehmann A (1989) Abnormalities in the level of extracellular and tissue amino acids in the brain of the seizure-susceptible rat. Epilepsy Res 3: 130–137

    Google Scholar 

  • Levi G, Kandera J, Lajtha A (1967) Control of cerebral metabolite levels. I. Amino acid uptake and levels in various species. Arch Biochem Biophys 119: 303–311

    Google Scholar 

  • Neidle A, Banay-Schwartz M, Sacks S, Dunlop DS (1989) Amino acid analysis using 1-naphthylisocyanate as a precolumn HPLC derivatization reagent. Anal Biochem 180: 291–297

    Google Scholar 

  • Palkovits M (1973) Isolated removal of hypothalamic or other brain nuclei of the rat. Brain Res 59: 449–450

    Google Scholar 

  • Palkovits M, Elekes I, Lang T, Patthy A (1986a) Taurine levels in discrete brain nuclei of rats. J Neurochem 47: 1333–1335

    Google Scholar 

  • Palkovits M, Lang T, Patthy A, Elekes I (1986b) Distribution and stress-induced increase of glutamate and aspartate levels in discrete brain nuclei of rats. Brain Res 373: 252–257

    Google Scholar 

  • Perry TL (1982) Cerebral amino acid pools. In: Lajtha A (ed) Handbook of neurochemistry, 2nd edn, vol 1. Plenum Press, New York, pp 151–179

    Google Scholar 

  • Perry TL, Hansen S, Berry K, Mok C, Lesk D (1971a) Free amino acids and related compounds in biopsies of human brain. J Neurochem 18: 521–528

    Google Scholar 

  • Perry TL, Berry K, Hansen S, Diamond S, Mok C (1971b) Regional distribution of amino acids in human brain obtained at autopsy. J Neurochem 18: 513–519

    Google Scholar 

  • Perry TL, Hansen S, Kish SJ (1980) Effects of chronic administration of antipsychotic drugs on GABA and other amino acids in the mesolimbic area of rat brain. Life Sci 24: 283–288

    Google Scholar 

  • Perry TL, Hansen S, Gandham SS (1981) Postmortem changes of amino compounds in human and rat brain. J Neurochem 36: 406–414

    Google Scholar 

  • Perry TL, Hansen S, Jones K (1987) Brain glutamate deficiency in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neurology 37: 1845–1848

    Google Scholar 

  • Perry TL, Hansen S, Jones K (1988) Brain amino acids and glutathione in progressive supranuclear palsy. Neurology 38: 943–946

    Google Scholar 

  • Sershen H, Lajtha A (1979) Inhibition pattern by analogs indicates the presence of ten or more transport systems for amino acids in brain cells. J Neurochem 32: 719–726

    Google Scholar 

  • Sershen H, Reith MEA, Banay-Schwartz M, Lajtha A (1982) Effects of prenatal administration of nicotine on amino acid pools, protein metabolism, and nicotine binding in the brain. Neurochem Res 7: 1515–1522

    Google Scholar 

  • Simler S, Ciesielski L, Clement J, Mandel P (1990) Amino acid neurotransmitter alterations in three sublines of Rb mice differing by their susceptibility to audiogenic seizures. Neurochem Res 15: 687–693

    Google Scholar 

  • Toth J, Lajtha A (1981) Drug-induced changes in the composition of the cerebral free amino acid pool. Neurochem Res 6: 3–12

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Neurochemistry, The Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 10962, Orangeburg, NY, USA

    M. Banay-Schwartz & A. Lajtha

  2. Laboratory of Neuromorphology, Semmelweis University Medical School, Budapest, Hungary

    M. Palkovits

Authors
  1. M. Banay-Schwartz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. Palkovits
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. A. Lajtha
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Banay-Schwartz, M., Palkovits, M. & Lajtha, A. Levels of amino acids in 52 discrete areas of postmortem brain of adult and aged humans. Amino Acids 5, 273–287 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00805990

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00805990

Keywords

Search

Navigation