Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) metabolism was studied in rats chronically exposed to 2.86 GHz microwaves at an incident power level of 10 mW/cm or acutely exposed to incident power levels of 40 or 80 mW/cm. No changes occurred in whole brain GABA levels or L-glutamic decarboxylase activity following these exposures. These results suggest that an altered GABA metabolism is not involved in report...

A rapid glutamic acid decarboxylase microdilution test for presumptive identification of certain anaerobic bacteria was marketed recently by Carr-Scarborough Microbiologicals, Inc., Stone Mountain, Ga. The test was evaluated with 474 clinical isolates, representing 11 genera and 54 species, and was found to be a useful aid in the presumptive identification of Bacteroides fragilis, B. distasonis...

The functions of neurotransmitters in fetal development are poorly understood. Genetic observations have suggested a role for the inhibitory amino acid neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the normal development of the mouse palate. Mice homozygous for mutations in the beta-3 GABAA receptor subunit develop a cleft secondary palate. GABA, the ligand for this receptor, is synthesize...

Glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD;E.C. 4.1.1.15) catalyzes the production of GABA, the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian brain. We recently isolated a lambda gt-11 recombinant, lambda-GAD, that contains the cDNA for GAD from feline brain (Kaufman et al., 1986). Interestingly, the beta-galactosidase-GAD fusion protein encoded by lambda GAD is enzymatically active, catalyzing the ...

spreading depression (sd), discovered by leao in 1944, is a pathophysiological wave which propagates slowly in the brain (3 mm/min) and cause dramatic ionic and hemodynamic changes. sd appears to act through several mechanisms and receptors which have not completely understood. here, we studied the effect of inhibitory system in animal model of sd using immunohistochemistry technique. after imp...