AMINO-ACIDS AND NITRITE IN ISCHEMIC BRAIN STROKE

Amino acids were quantitated in cerebrospinal fluid and plasma from pa tients with recent ischemic brain stroke. Aspartic acid and Glutamic a cid two putative neurotoxic/excitatory amino acids along with Glycine and Alanine were significantly higher in CSF of. patients with ischemi c brain stroke as compared to healthy subjects. No significant change was found in plasma amino acids. High CSF levels of Aspartic and Gluta mic acid may have a role in potentiation/initiation of ischemic brain damage in stroke patients. The levels of nitrite (a metabolite of nitr ic oxide) and its precursor Arginine were significantly higher in CSF of the patients and linearily related. This suggests that the producti on of nitrite by Nitric oxide synthase is dependent on the pathologica l condition of stroke patients. CSF levels of Arginine and nitrite wer e also correlated with the level of Glutamic acid suggesting that Glut amic acid, Arginine aid nitrite contribute to the neuronal death in st roke patients.