ENZYMATIC DEGRADATION OF AMINO ACID ANTAGONISTS

The enzymatic degradation of urocanic acid.

Urocanic acid, produced by the nonoxidative deamination of L-histidine, has been demonstrated as the first intermediate in the degradation of this amino acid in liver (l-6) and in microorganisms (7-9). The subsequent enzymatic degradation of urocanic acid yields ol-r-formamidinoglutaric acid (10-13). The present paper describes the enzymatic formation of an unstable intermediate in this reactio...

Excitatory amino acid antagonists and epilepsy.

I06 (1990) Eur. J. Pharmacol. 189, 381-391 18. Honor&, T., Lauridsen, J. and Krogsgaard-Larsen, P. (1082) J. Neurochem. 38,173-178 19. Murphy, L). E., Snowhill, E. W. and Williams, M. (1087) Neurochem. Kes. 12,775-782 20. Lund, T. M., Madsen, U., Ebert, H.. Jsrgensen, I;. S. and Krogsgaard-Ia-sen, 1’. (1991) Med. Chem. Kes. 1, 130-141 21. Hansen, J. J., Lauridsen, J., Nielsen, E., and Krogsgaar...

Possible therapeutic applications of antagonists of excitatory amino acid neurotransmitters.

The dicarboxylic amino acids, glutamate and aspartate, are excitatory neurotransmitters in many brain regions. Recent animal experiments with analogues of dicarboxylic amino acids that block their excitatory actions, suggest that such selective antagonists could have important therapeutic uses in neurology and psychiatry. The strongest evidence concerns epilepsy and disorders of the motor syste...

Neuroprotective actions of excitatory amino acid receptor antagonists.

Enzymatic degradation of uric acid by uricase-loaded human erythrocytes.

Erythrocytes containing pig liver uricase have been prepared by hypotonic hemolysis in the presence of the enzyme. Uricase is shown to be active within the erythrocytes and to degrade uric acid as rapidly as it enters the cells when high intracellular enzyme concentrations are employed. The kinetics and characteristics of uric acid entry are shown to be the same for hemolysed and normal erythro...