Biomaterial Database

Transport of neutral amino acids at the blood-brain barrier. 1981

J H James, and J E Fischer

The movement of neutral amino acids across the blood-brain barrier is bidirectional, however, blood to brain transport is much better characterized than brain to blood transport. Available evidence points to the existence of a single transport system (system L) at the luminal capillary surface. The properties of this system place constraints on possible mechanisms of regulating blood-brain neutral amino acid transport activity. One property, mediation of exchange transport, suggests that amino acid influx is coupled to efflux, particularly efflux of glutamine, synthesized in glial astrocytes from ammonia and glutamic acid. Such a coupling could account for increased blood-brain neutral amino acid transport in liver disease and decreased transport activity after treatment with methionine sulfoximine, a glutamine synthetase inhibitor.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D001812	Blood-Brain Barrier	Specialized non-fenestrated tightly-joined ENDOTHELIAL CELLS with TIGHT JUNCTIONS that form a transport barrier for certain substances between the cerebral capillaries and the BRAIN tissue.	Brain-Blood Barrier,Hemato-Encephalic Barrier,Barrier, Blood-Brain,Barrier, Brain-Blood,Barrier, Hemato-Encephalic,Barriers, Blood-Brain,Barriers, Brain-Blood,Barriers, Hemato-Encephalic,Blood Brain Barrier,Blood-Brain Barriers,Brain Blood Barrier,Brain-Blood Barriers,Hemato Encephalic Barrier,Hemato-Encephalic Barriers
D001921	Brain	The part of CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM that is contained within the skull (CRANIUM). Arising from the NEURAL TUBE, the embryonic brain is comprised of three major parts including PROSENCEPHALON (the forebrain); MESENCEPHALON (the midbrain); and RHOMBENCEPHALON (the hindbrain). The developed brain consists of CEREBRUM; CEREBELLUM; and other structures in the BRAIN STEM.	Encephalon
D002196	Capillaries	The minute vessels that connect arterioles and venules.	Capillary Beds,Sinusoidal Beds,Sinusoids,Bed, Sinusoidal,Beds, Sinusoidal,Capillary,Capillary Bed,Sinusoid,Sinusoidal Bed
D005973	Glutamine	A non-essential amino acid present abundantly throughout the body and is involved in many metabolic processes. It is synthesized from GLUTAMIC ACID and AMMONIA. It is the principal carrier of NITROGEN in the body and is an important energy source for many cells.	D-Glutamine,L-Glutamine,D Glutamine,L Glutamine
D000596	Amino Acids	Organic compounds that generally contain an amino (-NH2) and a carboxyl (-COOH) group. Twenty alpha-amino acids are the subunits which are polymerized to form proteins.	Amino Acid,Acid, Amino,Acids, Amino
D000641	Ammonia	A colorless alkaline gas. It is formed in the body during decomposition of organic materials during a large number of metabolically important reactions. Note that the aqueous form of ammonia is referred to as AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE.
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001693	Biological Transport, Active	The movement of materials across cell membranes and epithelial layers against an electrochemical gradient, requiring the expenditure of metabolic energy.	Active Transport,Uphill Transport,Active Biological Transport,Biologic Transport, Active,Transport, Active Biological,Active Biologic Transport,Transport, Active,Transport, Active Biologic,Transport, Uphill
D051379	Mice	The common name for the genus Mus.	Mice, House,Mus,Mus musculus,Mice, Laboratory,Mouse,Mouse, House,Mouse, Laboratory,Mouse, Swiss,Mus domesticus,Mus musculus domesticus,Swiss Mice,House Mice,House Mouse,Laboratory Mice,Laboratory Mouse,Mice, Swiss,Swiss Mouse,domesticus, Mus musculus
D051381	Rats	The common name for the genus Rattus.	Rattus,Rats, Laboratory,Rats, Norway,Rattus norvegicus,Laboratory Rat,Laboratory Rats,Norway Rat,Norway Rats,Rat,Rat, Laboratory,Rat, Norway,norvegicus, Rattus