Existence of gamma-aminobutyric acid and its biosynthetic and metabolic enzymes in rat salivary glands.

To obtain more insight into the physiological role of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in rat salivary glands, we measured the concentration of GABA and the activities of its biosynthetic and metabolic enzymes, glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) and GABA transaminase (GABA-T). The GABA concentrations in rat parotid and submandibular glands were 10.0 and 14.3 nmol/g weight, respectively, which were 0.6-0.8% of the levels in the brain (cerebellum and medulla oblongata), whereas glutamic acid (Glu) was abundant in the two glands. These GABA levels in the two glands were significantly decreased by administration of semicarbazide (200 mg/kg, i.p.), a GAD inhibitor, and increased by gabaculine (50 mg/kg, i.p.), a GABA-T inhibitor. The activities of both GAD and GABA-T were also detected in homogenates of the two salivary glands, but they were lower than those in the brain. However, kinetic analysis showed that the values of Michaelis constants for Glu and GABA in both enzyme reactions in these two glands were similar to those in the brain. These results indicate that GABA and its biosynthetic and metabolic enzymes are present in rat salivary glands as well as the brain.