In this study, GABA efflux transport from brain to blood was estimated by u
sing the brain eff lux index (BE[) method. [H-3]GABA microinjected into par
tietal cortex area 2 (Par2) of the rat brain was eliminated from the brain
with an apparent elimination half-life of 16.9 min. The blood-brain barrier
(BBB) efflux clearance of [H-3]GABA was at least 0.153 mL/min/g brain, whi
ch was calculated from the elimination rate constant (7.14 x 10(-2) min(-1)
) and the distribution volume in the brain (2.14 mL/g brain). Direct compar
ison of the apparent BBB influx clearance [H-3]GABA (9.29 muL/min/g brain)
and the apparent efflux clearance (153 muL/min/g brain) indicated that the
efflux clearance was at least 16-fold greater than the influx clearance. In
order to reduce the effect of metabolism in the neuronal cells following i
ntracerebral microinjection, we determined the apparent eff lux of [H-3]GAB
A in the presence of nipecotic acid, a GABA transport inhibitor in parenchy
mal cells, using the BEI method. Under such conditions, the elimination of
[H-3]GABA across the BBB showed saturation and inhibition by probenecid in
the presence of nipecotic acid. Furthermore, the uptake of [H-3]GABA by MBE
C4 cells was inhibited by GABA, taurine, beta -alanine and nipecotic acid i
n a concentration-dependent manner. It is likely that GABA inhibits the fir
st step in the abluminal membrane uptake by brain endothelial cells, and th
at probenecid selectively inhibits the luminal membrane efflux transport pr
ocess from the brain capillary endothelial cells based on the in vivo and i
n vitro evidence. The BBB acts as the efflux pump for GABA to reduce the br
ain interstitial fluid concentration.