Brain-to-blood active transport of beta-alanine across the blood-brain barrier.

A high-affinity antiluminal uptake system for beta-alanine was demonstrated in primary cultured bovine brain capillary endothelial cells (BCEC) for which K(t) is 66.9 microM. beta alanine uptake was energy-, sodium- and chloride ion-dependent. beta-amino acids strongly inhibited the uptake, while alpha- and gamma-amino acids had a little or no inhibitory effect. In ATP-depleted cells, the uptake was stimulated by preloading beta-alanine or taurine but not by L-leucine. These results suggest that beta-alanine is actively transported across the antiluminal membrane of BCECs that is common to beta-amino acids. The system may function for the efflux from the brain to blood.