Neuro-inflammation induced in the hippocampus of 'binge drinking' rats may be mediated by elevated extracellular glutamate content.

The neuropathological and immune changes induced in the brain by 'binge drinking' have been investigated in a rat model. Evidence of neuro-inflammation was identified in the 'binge drinking' rat model of alcohol abuse after 3 weeks of administration of 2 or 3 g/kg ethanol (EtOH), three times per day for two consecutive days, followed by 5 days of abstinence: Firstly, alveolar macrophages, isolated from these animals, showed significant increases in inducible nitric oxide synthase, as assayed by nitrite release, both before and after lipopolysaccaharide stimulation. Secondly, significant numbers of activated microglia were present in the dentate gyrus region of the hippocampus of the 'binge drinking' model, after major histocompatibility complex class II staining, by comparison with the control.

Extracellular levels of brain aspartate, glutamate and GABA during an inhibitory avoidance response in the rat.

The extracellular levels of aspartate, glutamate and GABA were measured by microdialysis, coupled with an HPLC method, in rat prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and ventral hippocampus (VH) before and during the performance of a step-down inhibitory task. The basal levels of glutamate were about 50% higher than those of aspartate, and GABA levels were about 20-folds smaller than those of the excitatory amino acids. There were no significant differences in the basal levels of any of the three amino acids between the two brain regions.

Extracellular levels of amino acids and choline in human high grade gliomas: an intraoperative microdialysis study.

The concentrations of endogenous amino acids and choline in the extracellular fluid of human cerebral gliomas have been measured, for the first time, by in vivo microdialysis. Glioblastoma growth was associated with increased concentrations of choline, GABA, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, phenylalanine, taurine, tyrosine, and valine. There was no difference between grade III and grade IV tumors in the concentrations of phenylalanine, isoleucine, tyrosine, valine, and lysine, whereas the concentrations of choline, aspartate, taurine, GABA, leucine, and glutamate were significantly different in the two tumor-grade subgroups.

The use of taurine analogues to investigate taurine functions and their potential therapeutic applications.

Despite the multitude of evidence for the beneficial effects of taurine supplementation in a variety of disease, the underlying modifying action of taurine with respect to either molecular or biochemical mechanisms is almost totally unknown. We have assessed the development of taurine analogues, particularly where there has been substitution at the suphonate or amine group. Such substitutions allow the investigator to probe the relationship between structure and function of the taurine molecule.

Determination of monoamine oxidase activity by HPLC with fluorimetric detection.

The aldehyde produced from the oxidative deamination of primary and secondary amines by the monoamine oxidases (EC 1.4.3.

Simultaneous determination of basal and evoked output levels of aspartate, glutamate, taurine and 4-aminobutyric acid during microdialysis and from superfused brain slices.

A HPLC method, involving pre-column derivatisation with o-phthalaldehyde and fluorescence detection, is described. It allows the resolution of aspartate, glutamate, taurine and GABA, in a single run with detection limits of 3.2, 1.

The release of amino acids from rat neostriatum and substantia nigra in vivo: a dual microdialysis probe analysis.

It has previously been demonstrated, in dual probe microdialysis studies, that stimulation of the neostriatum with kainic acid causes the release of GABA both locally within the neostriatum and distally in the substantia nigra, observations that are consistent with the known anatomy of the basal ganglia. The object of the present study was to further examine the characteristics of GABA release and to determine whether taurine, which has been proposed to be present in striatonigral neurons, has similar characteristics of release, and to examine the release of excitatory amino acids under the same conditions. To this end, dual probe microdialysis studies were carried out on freely-moving rats.

Measurement of synthetic phenolic antioxidants in human tissues by high-performance liquid chromatography with coulometric electrochemical detection.

The antioxidants, 2-tert.-butyl-4-methoxyphenol (BHA) and its oxidative peroxidation product 2,2'-dihydroxy-3,3'-di-tert.-butyl-5,5'-dimethoxybiphenyl (di-BHA), 3,5-di-tert.

Increased desensitization by picomolar phorbol ester of the endothelium-mediated effect of histamine in the perfused rat mesenteric bed.

The vasodilatatory, endothelium-mediated, effect of histamine (H), through H1 receptor, in the isolated and perfused mesenteric bed of the rat, undergoes strong desensitization during perfusion or repetitive injections of noradrenaline (NA) and H. The mesenteric bed completely desensitized to H is responsive to carbachol (C) and this latter compound does not affect the H desensitization. The homologous desensitization to C effect is very small, attaining less than 10% after 30 min of continuous perfusion.

Effects of L- and D-arginine and some related esters on the cytosolic mechanisms of alpha-thrombin-induced human platelet activation.

1. In Fura-2 preloaded human platelets, the increase in cytosolic calcium induced by alpha-thrombin was reduced by some L- and D-arginine ester compounds the IC50 (microM) values of which were 7.4 for TAEE, 56.