Jk. Khan et al., INHIBITORY AND EXCITATORY AMINO-ACIDS IN CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID OF NEUROLATHYRISM PATIENTS, A HIGHLY PREVALENT MOTORNEURONE DISEASE, Acta neurologica Scandinavica, 91(6), 1995, pp. 506-510
Neurolathyrism is caused by overconsumption of seeds containing 3-N-ox
alyl-L-2,3-diaminopropanoic acid (beta-ODAP). Amino acids levels of ce
rebrospinal fluid (CSF) were studied in 50 patients with neurolathyris
m and 12 healthy volunteers. The levels of excitatory amino acids glut
amate and aspartate were 281% and 71% respectively of control values.
The concentration of inhibitory amino acids glycine and taurine were 2
77% and 198% respectively of the levels in CSF from control individual
s, There was a significant correlation between the level of glycine an
d the duration of the disease. We also found increased levels of threo
nine, serine and alanine. In contrast to reports on other motor neuron
e diseases where an increase of isoleucine was observed we found a sig
nificant decrease of isoleucine. The results suggest a disturbance of
amino acid metabolism due to excitotoxic damages caused by beta-ODAP,
a dietary excitatory amino acid.