Homocarnosine and carnosine have been identified in bovine brain extracts which are effective in protecting mice against infections by Staphylococcus aureus. These peptides, as well as l-1-methylhistidine, beta-alanine, gamma-aminobutyric acid, delta-aminovaleric acid, epsilon-aminocaproic acid, 1-aminomethylcyclohexane-4-carboxylic acid, and anserine, were tested as prophylactic agents against...

The activation of β-cell's A- and B-type gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors (GABAA-Rs and GABAB-Rs) can promote their survival and replication, and the activation of α-cell GABAA-Rs promotes their conversion into β-cells. However, GABA and the most clinically applicable GABA-R ligands may be suboptimal for the long-term treatment of diabetes due to their pharmacological properties or potential s...

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a four-carbon non-protein amino acid, is a significant component of the free amino acid pool in most prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. In plants, stress initiates a signal-transduction pathway, in which increased cytosolic Ca2+ activates Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent glutamate decarboxylase activity and GABA synthesis. Elevated H+ and substrate levels can also st...

Levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were measured by radioreceptor assay (RRA) in 25 normal controls and in 121 patients with various central nervous system disorders. CSF-GABA levels could be measured down to 5 pmoles/ml reliably by this assay. In normal controls, the mean (+/- SEM) GABA level in CSF was 127 +/- 5.2 pmoles/ml. There was no correlation between ...