Tabassum Saiqa, Ahmad Saara, Madiha Syeda, Khaliq Saima, Shahzad Sidrah, Batool Zehra, Haider Saida
Neuropharmacology and Neurochemistry Research Unit, Department of Biochemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan.
Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Agha Khan University Karachi, Pakistan.
Pak J Pharm Sci. 2017 May;30(3(Suppl.)):1013-1021.
Glutamate (GLU) and gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) are essential amino acids (AA) for brain function serving as excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitter respectively. Their tablets are available in market for improving gut function and muscle performance. Despite of having a major role during memory formation and processing, effects of these tablets on brain functioning like learning and memory have not been investigated. Therefore, present study is aimed to investigate the effects of orally supplemented GLU and GABA on learning and memory performance and further to monitor related effects of these orally supplemented GLU and GABA on brain levels of these AA. Three groups of rats were supplemented orally with drinking water (control group) or suspension of tablets of GABA and Glutamate, respectively for four weeks. Cognitive performance was determined using behavioral tests (Novel object recognition test, Morris water maze, Passive avoidance test) measuring recognition, spatial reference and aversive memory. Levels of GLU, GABA and acetylcholine (ACh) were estimated in rat hippocampus. Results showed that chronic oral administration of GLU and GABA tablets has a significant impact on brain function and can alter GLU and GABA content in rat hippocampus. Compared to GABA, GLU supplementation specifically enhances memory performance via increasing ACh. Thus, GLU can be suggested as a useful supplement for improving learning and memory performance and neurochemical status of brain and in future could be effective in the treatment of neurological disorders affecting learning and memory performance.
谷氨酸（GLU）和γ-氨基丁酸（GABA）是对脑功能至关重要的氨基酸，分别作为兴奋性和抑制性神经递质。它们的片剂在市场上有售，用于改善肠道功能和肌肉性能。尽管它们在记忆形成和处理过程中起主要作用，但这些片剂对学习和记忆等脑功能的影响尚未得到研究。因此，本研究旨在探讨口服补充GLU和GABA对学习和记忆性能的影响，并进一步监测口服补充这些GLU和GABA对这些氨基酸脑内水平的相关影响。将三组大鼠分别口服补充饮用水（对照组）或GABA和谷氨酸片剂悬液，持续四周。使用行为测试（新物体识别测试、莫里斯水迷宫、被动回避测试）来测定认知性能，这些测试测量识别、空间参考和厌恶记忆。测定大鼠海马中GLU、GABA和乙酰胆碱（ACh）的水平。结果表明，长期口服GLU和GABA片剂对脑功能有显著影响，并可改变大鼠海马中GLU和GABA的含量。与GABA相比，补充GLU通过增加ACh特异性地增强记忆性能。因此，GLU可被认为是一种有用的补充剂，用于改善学习和记忆性能以及脑的神经化学状态，并且未来可能对治疗影响学习和记忆性能的神经疾病有效。
