Changes in the amino acid pool in the rat parietal lobe and hippocampus with incomplete cerebral ischemia

Abstract

Introduction. Amino acids and their derivatives are involved in synaptic transmission as neurotransmitters and neuromodulators, and some of them are involved in the formation of neurotransmitters of the nervous system. Therefore, the study of the state of the amino acid pool in incomplete cerebral ischemia plays a significant role.The objective was to assess the nature of changes in amino acid pool and evaluate their participation in oxidative processes in rats with incomplete cerebral ischemia.Methods and materials. The experiments were carried out on 16 male outbred white rats weighing 260±20 g in compliance with the requirements of the Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council No. 2010/63/EU of September 22, 2010 on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes.Results. Compared with the indicators in the control group, rats with an ischemic period of 1 hour in the parietal lobe had a decrease in the content of sulfur-containing amino acids: methionine by 12 % and cysteate by 28 %. In addition, there was an increase of L-arginine in the parietal lobe by 39 %, and in the hippocampus – by 56 %.Conclusions. The following changes are characteristic for one-hour incomplete cerebral ischemia: a decrease in the content of sulfur-containing amino acids, with a decrease in both methionine and an increase in the content of L-arginine. Changes in the parietal lobe and hippocampus had a similar nature, except for the absence of a drop in the level of cysteate in the hippocampus, as a reflection of the higher sensitivity of the parietal lobe to oxygen deficiency, compared with the hippocampus.