Developmental changes in brain indoles, serum tryptophan and other serum neutral amino acids in the rat.

The rates at which brain neurons synthesize and release serotonin depend in part on brain tryptophan concentrations; these, in turn, vary directly with serum (or plasma) tryptophan, and inversely with the serum concentrations of other large neutral amino acids (LNAA). Concentrations of serum tryptophan, LNAA and brain indoles were examined in samples drawn at noontime from rats aged 0-59 days. Developmental changes in serum tryptophan largely paralleled those in the tryptophan/LNAA ratio, and brain tryptophan concentrations. Brain serotonin and 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA) levels also increased postnatally; the changes in 5-HIAA tended to parallel those in brain tryptophan while those in serotonin did not.