Gamma-aminobutyric Acid Concentrations Research Articles

Predicting learning and achievement using GABA and glutamate concentrations in human development.

Previous research has highlighted the role of glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in learning and plasticity. What is currently unknown is how this knowledge translates to real-life complex cognitive abilities that emerge slowly and how the link between these neurotransmitters and human learning and plasticity is shaped by development. While some have suggested a generic role of glutamate and GABA in learning and plasticity, others have hypothesized that their involvement shapes sensitive periods during development. Here we used a cross-sectional longitudinal design with 255 individuals (spanning primary school to university) to show that glutamate and GABA in the intraparietal sulcus explain unique variance both in current and future mathematical achievement (approximately 1.5 years). Furthermore, our findings reveal a dynamic and dissociable role of GABA and glutamate in predicting learning, which is reversed during development, and therefore provide novel implications for models of learning and plasticity during childhood and adulthood.

Day-Night Variations in the Concentration of Neurotransmitters in the Rat Lumbar Spinal Cord.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the light-dark variations in the concentrations of several neurotransmitters in the lumbar spinal cord of rats. Six groups of male Wistar rats were exposed to a 12 h light-12 h dark cycle for 70 days. At different time points of the experimental day (8, 12, 16, 20, 24 and 4 h), one of the groups of rats was randomly selected to be sacrificed, and the spinal cords were removed. The gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate (GLU), dopamine, serotonin, epinephrine (E), and norepinephrine (NE) levels in each extracted spinal cord were measured with high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC)-EQ and HPLC-fluorescence systems. Our results indicate that the spinal concentrations of GABA and GLU showed sinusoidal variation in a 24 h cycle, with the highest peak in the dark period (~20 h). Dopamine and serotonin also fluctuated in concentration but peaked in the light period (between 8 and 12 h), while E and NE concentrations showed no significant fluctuations. The possible relationship between neurotransmitter spinal concentration and sensitivity to pain and locomotor activity is discussed. It was concluded that most of the neurotransmitter levels in the lumbar spinal cord showed circadian fluctuations coupled to a light-dark cycle.

Effect of germination on nutritional and bioactive properties of red rice grains and its application in cupcake production

Rice flour is a promising ingredient for the development of gluten-free products due to its natural characteristics such as hypoallergenic nature, mild flavor, gel stability while freezing or thawing, and resistance to acidic ingredients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of germination time on nutritional and bioactive properties of red rice and its application in the production of cupcakes. Red rice grains that were germinated for 8, 16, 24, 32, and 40 h, were evaluated along with a sample of non-germinated grains. The increase in germination time promoted a reduction in ash content, moisture, and pH, without changes in the other constituents of the basic composition. Regarding the content of phenolic acids and individual flavonoids in the free fraction, there was an increase in caffeic, coumaric, and ferulic acids, and myricetin after 16 h of germination. The content of GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) in the flour also increased over time, reaching 1.86 mg 100/g in 40 h, which further increased to 3.66 mg 100/g after baking the cupcakes. Concurrently, the cupcake acceptability index of 89.65% indicated that the product was accepted sensorially by the consumer. The germination of red rice results in the release of/increase in the content of some compounds, which makes it a suitable alternative for application in food products.

Whole-cell display of Pyrococcus horikoshii glutamate decarboxylase in Escherichia coli for high-titer extracellular gamma-aminobutyric acid production.

We investigated the effect of cell-surface display of glutamate decarboxylase (GadB) on gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) production in recombinant Escherichia coli. We integrated GadB from the hyperthermophilic, anaerobic archaeon Pyrococcus horikoshii to the C-terminus of the E. coli outer membrane protein C (OmpC). After 12 hr of culturing GadB-displaying cells, the GABA concentration in the extracellular medium increased to 3.2 g/l, which is eight times that obtained with cells expressing GadB in the cytosol. To further enhance GABA production, we increased the temperatures of the culture. At 60°C, the obtained GABA concentration was 4.62 g/l after 12 hr of culture, and 5.35 g/l after 24 hr, which corresponds to a yield of 87.7%.

New Horizons in Temporal Lobe Seizure Control.

In patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy, high-frequency, low-amplitude electrical stimulation (ES) was applied during 3 weeks through contacts of intracranial electrodes that defined the epileptogenic zone. This subacute ES induced cessation of spontaneous seizures, decreased the number of EEG interictal spikes, caused a 10-fold increase in threshold to induce postdischarges, and showed a profound decrease in regional blood flow of the stimulated area in SPECT studies. Autoradiography analysis of surgical specimens from these patients demonstrated increased expression of benzodiazepine receptors and in gamma-aminobutyric acid content, particularly in the parahippocampal cortex. These observations provided evidence of a gamma-aminobutyric acid-mediated antiepileptic effect induced by ES. Several reports of long-term hippocampal ES through internalized neurostimulators have confirmed the antiepileptic effect on mesial temporal lobe-initiated seizures, with preservation of neuropsychological performance, in particular memory functions. The experience of the authors is that the response is optimal in patients without hippocampal sclerosis evidenced by MRI, whereas it is less significant and delayed in patients with hippocampal sclerosis. Other studies reported the best result stimulating through the contacts in the subiculum, the transition between the hippocampus and parahippocampal cortex, that usually escapes to the hippocampal sclerosis. Currently, the effect of ES directed at the subiculum and the parahippocampal cortex in patients with hippocampal sclerosis is under investigation.

Effects of germination time on the structural, physicochemical and functional properties of brown rice

SummaryGerminated brown rice (GBR) is a gluten‐free food raw material. Its tissue structure, physicochemical properties and functional properties depend on the germination time. In this study, rapid viscosity analyses, differential scanning calorimetry and X‐ray diffraction et al were used to analyse the structural, physicochemical and functional changes in brown rice (BR) during germination. Gamma‐aminobutyric acid (GABA), total phenolic compound, glutathione (GSH) and amino acid contents increased during germination. GBR exhibited the highest GSH (22.70 mg per 100 g) and amino acid (8.02 mg per 100 g) contents at 24 h and the highest GABA content (253.35 mg per 100 g) at 36 h. Furthermore, BR germinated for 36 h showed greater enthalpy (ΔH) than ungerminated BR. Although GBR showed less crystallinity than ungerminated BR, germination did not change the crystalline structure type of starch (A‐type). These results inform choices of the appropriate applications of GBR to promote its utilisation in the food industry.

Reduced cortical GABA and glutamate in high schizotypy

RationaleAbnormal functioning of the inhibitory gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and excitatory (glutamate) systems is proposed to play a role in the development of schizophrenia spectrum disorder. Although results are mixed, previous 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) studies in schizophrenia and clinical high-risk samples report these metabolites are altered in comparison to healthy controls. Currently, however, there are few studies of these metabolites in schizotypy samples, a personality dimension associated with the experience of schizophrenia and psychosis-like symptoms.ObjectivesWe investigated if GABA and glutamate metabolite concentrations are altered in people with high schizotypy. We also explored the relationship between resilience to stress, GABA metabolite concentrations and schizotypy.MethodsWe used MRS to examine GABA and glutamate levels in the medial prefrontal cortex in people with low and high schizotypy traits as assessed with the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire. Resilience to stress was assessed using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale.ResultsCompared to individuals with low schizotypy traits, high schizotypy individuals showed lower cortical prefrontal GABA (F (1,38) = 5.18, p = 0.03, η2 = 0.09) and glutamate metabolite levels (F (1, 49) = 6.25, p = 0.02, η2 = 0.02). Furthermore, participants with high GABA and high resilience levels were significantly more likely to be in the low schizotypy group than participants with low GABA and high resilience or high GABA and low resilience (95% CI 1.07–1.34, p < .001).ConclusionsThese findings demonstrate that subclinical schizotypal traits are associated with abnormal functioning of both inhibitory and excitatory systems and suggest that these transmitters are implicated in a personality trait believed to be on a continuum with psychosis.

BRAIN MAGNETIC RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY IN MIGRAINE

Migraine is a common neurological disorder that is characterized by episodes of moderate to severe headache. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is a noninvasive method that enables in vivo studying of tissue metabolism by utilizing the magnetic properties of certain atomic nuclei, mainly hydrogen (1H) and phosphorous (31P). 1H-MRS is most commonly used to measure the concentration of gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate, phosphocreatine (PCr), creatine, choline, N-acetylaspartate (NAA), myo-inositol, aspartate and lactate. 31P-MRS enables noninvasive in vivo measuring of concentration of compounds containing phosphorus nuclei. This allows the measurement of metabolites involved in brain energy metabolism including concentrations of phosphocreatine (PCr), inorganic phosphate, creatine, adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP). 1H-MRS studies reported significant differences in levels of GABA, glutamate, lactate and NAA between migraine patients and controls, measured in various brain regions, while most of the studies found no significant differences in levels of myo-inositol, choline and total creatine. The main consistent findings using 31P-MRS are concomitantly decreased PCr and increased inorganic phosphate, that is, a decreased PCr/inorganic phosphate ratio, as well as decreased magnesium measured in cortical regions of migraine patients. For identifying a biomarker in migraine it is necessary for future Mrs studies to obtain additional information of the ictal state in migraine as well as before and after interventions. Severity of the disease (disease duration and migraine attack frequency) has to be taken into account to detect possible correlation with Mrs findings which also needs further research.

Time-Course of Salivary Metabolomic Profiles during Radiation Therapy for Head and Neck Cancer.

Oral mucositis (OM) is one of the most frequently observed adverse oral events in radiation therapy for patients with head and neck cancer. Thus, objective evaluation of OM severity is needed for early and timely intervention. Here, we analyzed the time-course of salivary metabolomic profiles during the radiation therapy. The severity of OM (National Cancer Institute (NCI) Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v3.0) of nine patients with head and neck cancer was evaluated. Partial least squares regression-discriminant analysis, using samples collected before radiation therapy, showed that histidine and tyrosine highly discriminated high-grade OM from low-grade OM before the start of radiation therapy (significant difference, p = 0.048 for both metabolites). Further, the pretreatment concentrations of gamma-aminobutyric acid and 2-aminobutyric acids were higher in the high-grade OM group. Although further validations are still necessary, this study showed potentially associated metabolites with worse radiotherapy-related OM among patients with head and neck cancer.

Effects of pre-ensiling treatments on feed choice and short-term dry matter intake of lucerne silages by goats

The three pre-ensiling treatments dry matter (DM) concentration, wilting intensity and sucrose addition have recently been shown to affect the chemical composition of lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) silages (LS) with highest true protein preservation and improved fermentation quality when lucerne was wilted with high intensity to 35% DM concentration and ensiled with the addition of sucrose. Provided that ruminants prefer these LS to those produced under other pre-ensiling conditions, an improved provision of dietary energy and nutrients may be achieved. However, information on how such pre-ensiling treatments influence the feed choice and DM intake (DMI) of ruminants is lacking and thus, feed choice trials with ten Saanen-type wethers were conducted. The LS were tested in two separate trials split by the factor sucrose addition. In both trials, the animals first passed an adaptation period receiving each differently pre-treated LS (n = 4) and lucerne hay that served as a control for one day to gain forage-specific post-ingestive responses. Subsequently, each possible two-way combination of forages was offered to the animals to determine the forage preference, i.e. 30-min and 3-h DMI. The DM concentration affected the feed intakes at both time points with greater preference for 35% DM LS than for 25% DM LS and a higher consumption was observed for sucrose-treated LS than for untreated LS when related to control lucerne hay. In contrast, wilting intensity showed no influence on DMI. The higher intake of high DM or sucrose-treated LS was likely related to the superior silage quality as indicated by high negative correlations of DMI and non-protein nitrogen, ammonia-nitrogen, acetic acid, butyric acid and gamma-aminobutyric acid concentrations.

Influence of enzyme treatment of rice bran on gamma‐aminobutyric acid synthesis by Lacto bacillus

AbstractGamma‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. The production GABA from the cheaper glutamic acid is a valuable process. Rice bran is a potential source of glutamic acid decarboxylase which was therefore selected for production of gamma‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) using lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus brevis (Lb.brevis) VTCC‐B397). The influences of treatment of defatted rice bran with α‐amylase, Alcalase (Al), Flavourzyme (Fl) and their combinations at different concentration ratios on the GABA synthesis were examined. With α‐amylase impacts, concentration of GABA (6.41 mg mL−1) was about 2.38 times higher than the control sample (2.69 mg mL−1) under hydrolysis conditions of pH 6.5, temperature of 95 °C and α‐amylase concentration of 0.15% (v/w) for 45 min. The α‐amylase hydrolysis as prerequisite for protein hydrolysis using Al: Fl (ratio Al: Fl of 3: 7, concentration of 2% (w/w), pH = 8, temperature of 50 °C) reached the highest GABA synthesis efficiency, at 8.43 mg mL−1. Results showed that the enzyme treatment positively affected the fermentation using Lb. brevis for GABA biosynthesis from defatted rice bran.

Accumulation of lutein in broccoli sprouts based on the cultivation conditions of GABA combined with NaCl optimized by response surface methodology

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) can alleviate the adverse effects of NaCl and increase the content of endogenous substances. In this case, we investigated the GABA concentration (0.5–2.0 mM), NaCl concentration (50–150 mM), and germination time (3–5 d) to determine their effects on lutein content in broccoli sprouts. The results of response surface methodology revealed that the optimum conditions were a NaCl concentration of 83.91 mM, GABA concentration of 1.18 mM, and germination at room temperature for 4.38 days. Under these conditions, the lutein content in broccoli sprouts reached 641.45 μg/g dry weight. The data were similar to the predicted value, demonstrating the validity of the model. The contents of phytochemicals, such as other carotenoids were also increased and exhibited high antioxidant activity, laying the foundation for the wide application of research on broccoli sprouts accumulating lutein under optimized conditions. Practical applications Edible broccoli sprouts are widely welcomed because of their high nutritional value and various phytochemicals and as an important source of carotenoids. The present research optimized the cultivation conditions of broccoli sprouts, including the NaCl concentration, GABA concentration, and germination times, providing a method for germinating broccoli sprouts containing lutein. The harvested sprouts can be eaten directly or developed into lutein-containing functional food.

Intermittent Theta-Burst Stimulation Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Increases GABA in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex: A Preliminary Sham-Controlled Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Study in Acute Bipolar Depression.

Background: Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) has been used to identify gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) alterations in mood disorders, particularly in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) where decreased concentrations have been associated with anhedonia. In major depressive disorder (MDD), prior work suggests that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) increases mPFC GABA concentrations proportional to antidepressant response. To our knowledge, this has not been examined in acute bipolar depression.Methods: As part of a multicentre 4-week randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial using intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in individuals with acute bipolar depression, we quantified mPFC GABA and Glx (glutamate+glutamine) concentrations using a 3T MRS scan at baseline and after the intervention. Depressive symptoms were measured using the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17 (HRDS-17), and anhedonia was measured using the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS).Results: The trial was terminated for futility and magnetic resonance spectroscopy data was acquired for 18 participants. At baseline, there were no associations between GABA or Glx concentrations and anhedonia, however GABA was negative correlated with depressive symptom severity on the HRDS-17. Compared to the sham-iTBS group, participants receiving active-iTBS had a significant increase in mPFC GABA concentrations. This was unrelated to antidepressant outcomes or improvements in anhedonia.Conclusion: Our data suggests that iTBS targeting the DLPFC is associated with physiological changes in the mPFC. In acute bipolar depression, our preliminary data suggests that mPFC GABA is dissociated from antidepressant iTBS treatment outcomes and anhedonia.

GABA enhancement by simple carbohydrates in yoghurt fermented using novel, self-cloned Lactobacillus plantarum Taj-Apis362 and metabolomics profiling

This study aimed to enhance natural gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) production in yoghurt by the addition of simple sugars and commercial prebiotics without the need for pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP) cofactor. The simple sugars induced more GABA production (42.83–58.56 mg/100 g) compared to the prebiotics (34.19–40.51 mg/100 g), with glucose promoting the most GABA production in yoghurt (58.56 mg/100 g) surpassing the control sample with added PLP (48.01 mg/100 g). The yoghurt prepared with glucose also had the highest probiotic count (9.31 log CFU/g). Simulated gastrointestinal digestion of this GABA-rich yoghurt showed a non-significant reduction in GABA content and probiotic viability, demonstrating the resistance towards a highly acidic environment (pH 1.2). Refrigerated storage up to 28 days improved GABA production (83.65 mg/100 g) compared to fresh GABA-rich yoghurt prepared on day 1. In conclusion, the addition of glucose successfully mitigates the over-use of glutamate and omits the use of PLP for increased production of GABA in yoghurt, offering an economical approach to produce a probiotic-rich dairy food with potential anti-hypertensive effects.

Reconstruction of the glutamate decarboxylase system in Lactococcus lactis for biosynthesis of food-grade γ-aminobutyric acid.

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an important bioactive compound, is synthesized through the decarboxylation of L-glutamate (L-Glu) by glutamate decarboxylase (GAD). The use of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) as catalysts opens interesting avenues for the biosynthesis of food-grade GABA. However, a key obstacle involved in the improvement of GABA production is how to resolve the discrepancy of optimal pH between the intracellular GAD activity and cell growth. In this work, a potential GAD candidate (LpGadB) from Lactobacillus plantarum was heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli. Recombinant LpGadB existed as a homodimer under the native conditions with a molecular mass of 109.6 kDa and exhibited maximal activity at 40°C and pH 5.0. The Km value and catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) of LpGadB for L-Glu was 21.33 mM and 1.19 mM-1s-1, respectively, with the specific activity of 26.67 μM/min/mg protein. Subsequently, four C-terminally truncated LpGadB mutants (GadBΔC10, GadBΔC11, GadBΔC12, GadBΔC13) were constructed based on homology modeling. Among them, the mutant GadBΔC11 with highest catalytic activity at near-neutral pH values was selected. In further, the GadBΔC11 and Glu/GABA antiporter (GadC) of Lactococcus lactis were co-overexpressed in the host L. lactis NZ3900. Finally, after 48 h of batch fermentation, the engineered strain L. lactis NZ3900/pNZ8149-gadBΔC11C yielded GABA concentration up to 33.52 g/L by applying a two-stage pH control strategy. Remarkably, this is the highest yield obtained to date for GABA from fermentation with L. lactis as a microbial cell factory.Key points• The GadB from L. plantarum was heterologously expressed in E. coli and biochemically characterized.• Deletion of the C-plug in GadB shifted its pH-dependent activity toward a higher pH.• Reconstructing the GAD system of L. lactis is an effective approach for improving its GABA production.

Comparison of Analyzed and Calculated Values of Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) Intake from Hospital Diet.

Intake of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) from nutritionally controlled hospital diet was analyzed and compared with those estimated by calculation. Thirty meals provided at a hospital in Okinawa were sampled. GABA content per meal were measured by HPLC and calculated from GABA content data in foods as much as available. As a result, out of a total of 30 meals, only 49.3% of the weight of food that appeared in the meals could be calculated. The analyzed and calculated median daily GABA intake was 67.3 mg and 30.0 mg. Overall, the calculated values were lower than the analytical values, but there was a significant positive correlation (rs=0.618, p<0.001). The more complete the database on GABA content, the more accurate the GABA intake could be estimated by calculation.

Gamma-aminobutyric acid improves phenanthrene phytotoxicity tolerance in cucumber through the glutathione-dependent system of antioxidant defense

Phenanthrene (PHE), a typical organic pollutant, has drawn attention in recent years due to its toxicity to plants and human health. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) induce plant tolerance to diverse stresses. However, the role and regulatory mechanisms of GABA in PHE stress responses in plants remains largely uncharacterized. Here, we showed that GABA content increased by 44.5%, 89.2%, 160% and 39.2% under 50, 100, 200 and 300 µM PHE treatment, respectively compared with mock. GABA treatment alleviated PHE-induced growth inhibition in a dose-dependent manner, with the most effective concentration of 50 mM GABA. Although exogenous GABA could not influence the accumulation of PHE in cucumber, it significantly mitigated photosynthetic inhibition and enhanced the transcripts and activities of the antioxidant enzymes such as ascorbate peroxidase (APX), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), resulting in less accumulation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and superoxide (O2.–). Importantly, timecourse analyses of glutathione (GSH) homeostasis showed that GABA markedly increased GSH content and GR activity as well as the transcripts of GSH biosynthesis-related genes GSH1, GSH2 and GR during PHE stress. Conversely, pretreatment with GSH biosynthesis inhibitor buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) abolished the GABA-induced changes in PHE stress. Together, these results suggest that GABA enhances tolerance to PHE stress via a GSH-dependent system of antioxidant defense in cucumber.

Microwave drying of germinated brown rice: Correlation of drying characteristics with the final quality

Drying characteristics influence the formation of quality including visual color and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) of germinated brown rice (GBR) subjected to microwave drying. In microwave drying, microwave intensities induced microscopic pores inside GBR to enhance the drying rate in initial stage, while rising temperatures caused gelatinization of starch granules to hinder the drying rate in later stage. The higher microwave intensity resulted in the greater non-uniformity of temperature inside the grain layer, which dominated the moisture content and final quality indexes of GBR. However, the coupling effects of temperature rising and moisture reducing failed to stimulate the glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) activity for the GABA synthesis, but may cause the degradation of GABA. The non-uniformity of microwave drying influenced the evaluation of GABA content in the dried GBR, and the suitable average grain temperature of 64–67 °C may retain relatively high GABA content. The critical temperature for preventing the serious browning and charred kernels inside the grain layer was 132 °C and 170 °C, respectively. Microwave intensity of 3–4 W/g may be suitable for drying of GBR considering high drying efficiency and product quality.

Effect of acupuncture at Tiaoshen acupoints on hyperarousal state in chronic insomnia

To observe the clinical effect of acupuncture at Tiaoshen (regulating the spirit) acupoints on chronic insomnia and hyperarousal state, and explore its possible mechanism. A total of 60 patients with chronic insomnia were randomly divided into an acupuncture group (30 cases, 1 case dropped off) and a sham acupuncture group (30 cases, 1 cases dropped off). Both groups were given basic sleep health education. The acupuncture group was treated with acupuncture at Tiaoshen acupoints including Baihui (GV 20), Shenting (GV 24), Yintang (GV 29), Shenmen (HT 7) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6). The sham acupuncture group was treated with non-effective point shallow acupuncture. Both groups were treated once every other day, 3 times a week for 4 weeks. The Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) score, pre-sleep arousal scale (PSAS) score, hyperarousal scale (HAS) score, and serum gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) level before and after treatment were compared between the two groups. Compared before treatment, the sleep quality, time to fall asleep, sleep time, sleep efficiency, sleep disturbance, daytime dysfunction scores and total score of PSQI, various scores and total score of PSAS, and HAS score in the acupuncture group after treatment were decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01); in the sham acupuncture group, the time to fall asleep, daytime dysfunction scores and total score of PSQI, and cognitive arousal score of PSAS after treatment were decreased (P<0.05). After treatment, the sleep quality, time to fall asleep, sleep time, sleep efficiency, sleep disturbance, daytime dysfunction scores and total score of PSQI, various scores and total score of PSAS, and HAS score in the acupuncture group were lower than those in the sham acupuncture group (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared before treatment, the serum GABA level in the acupuncture group were increased (P<0.05), and the serum GABA level in the acupuncture group was higher than that in the sham acupuncture group after treatment (P<0.05). Acupuncture at Tiaoshen acupoints can obviously improve the sleep and hyperarousal state of patients with chronic insomnia, and up-regulating serum GABA content is one of its possible mechanisms.

Gamma aminobutyric acid signaling disturbances and altered astrocytic morphology associated with Bisphenol A induced cognitive impairments in rat offspring.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a well-recognized endocrine disruptor and is globally used in the manufacture of many plastic items. Multiple studies suggest links between prenatal BPA exposure and alterations in neurodevelopment and behaviors in children, even at lower levels. This study was conducted to reveal the role of astrocyte morphology and Gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) signaling in BPA induced cognitive defects in the offspring of Wistar albino rats when exposed during the prenatal and postnatal periods. Dams of Wistar albino rats were exposed to a dose of 5mg/kg body weight of BPA throughout the pregnancy and lactation period until the third postnatal day (PND). After delivery of pups, cognitive tests were carried out on the 21st, 24th, and 28th PNDs. Blood samples were collected for measurement of serum GABA levels. On the same day as the blood collections, pups were sacrificed and their right frontal cortices were dissected out. Immunohistochemical analysis for glial fibrillar acidic protein + astrocytes was conducted. Pre and postnatal BPA exposure led to anxiety like behavior in pups. This exposure also resulted in reduced serum GABA concentrations. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed reduced astrocyte numbers as well as decreased numbers of dendritic spines in the BPA exposed pups. BPA exposure during critical periods of development leads to cognitive impairments that correlate with the defects in the GABA signaling pathways and deteriorated morphology of the astrocytes in the offspring of the Wistar rats.