Studies on γ-amino-β-hydroxybutyric acid II. Oxygen consumption of brain homogenate in the presence of γ-amino-β-hydroxybutyric acid

With the purpose to see if GABOB is in any way concerned with the mechanism of the epileptic attack observations were carried on the oxygen consumption of the brain homogenates of rabbits, normal and CLA, and of human, epileptic and non-epileptic. The experiment proved that the oxygen consumption is increased in the epileptic brain and in the brain of CLA rabbit. It was raised by adding ATP-Na salt or DPN, but GABOB itself showed only a slight effect. The results suggested that the oxygen consumption of brain is not so closely correlated with GABOB, but there is a possibility that the decrease in GABOB contents in epileptic brain by the accelerated decomposition with its elevated oxygen consumption may be correlated to the epileptic attack, though the final conclusion requires further observations.