ROLE OF NEUROTRANSMITTER AMINO-ACIDS IN MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS IN EXACERBATION, REMISSION AND CHRONIC PROGRESSIVE COURSE

Free amino acid were evaluated in cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) and plas ma from the patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) in phase of exacerba tion, remission and chronic progressive states by high-performance liq uid chromatography. Significantly low levels of GABA, aspartic acid(AS P), glutamic acid(GLU) and glycine(GLY), two major inhibitory amino ac ids were found in CSF from patients with MS as compared to healthy con trols. Taurine(TAU), another putative inhibitory amino acids was also low whereas glutamine was higher in CSF of MS patients. In plasma, mos t of the amino acids were unchanged except levels of aspartic acid (AS P), citrulline (CIT), valine (VAL) and phenylanaline (PHE) were decrea sed; whereas increased levels of glutamic acid (GLU) and alanine (ALA) were found in MS patients. The ratios of CSF/ plasma for amino acid s howed decreased levels for ASP, asparagine (ASN), GLN, CIT and ARG und er remission and excerabation in MS patients but no changes were obser ved under chronic progressive state whereas decreased levels in glycin e (GLY) and increased levels of TYR, methionine (MET) and lysine (LYS) were observed in these patients. These results suggest that variation in the amino acid levels in CSF, plasma and their ratios reflect the abnormal transport mechanism through blood-brain barrier under MS. The data accumulated may be a helpful tool to improve our knowledge regar ding pathological and pathogentic processes developed during the cours e of MS.