[Changes of amino acids in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with cerebral infarction]

Using high performance liquid chromatography, we measured the Asp, Glu, Ser, Gly, Thr, Arg, Ala, Tyr, Met, Val, Phe, Ile, Ley, Lys, GABA concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) of 15 patients with ischemic cerebral infarction and 10 control subjects. The severity of the neurological deficit was assessed with Chinese stroke scale; infarct volume was determined by Zhang's method. The concentration of Asp, Glu, Ala, Leu were higher significantly in the infarct group than that in control(P < 0.01; P < 0.05); however, the concentration of GABA in the infarct group was lower than that in control(P < 0.05). The concentrations of Asp and Glu were positively correlated with infarct volume(rAsp = 0.56, P < 0.05; rGlu = 0.52, P < 0.05). The other amino acids were not correlated with infarct volume. All of the amino acids determined were not correlated with severity of neurological deficit. The results support the excitoxic activity of Asp and Glu in patients with ischemic cerebral infarction. Whether GABA protects neuronal tissue from ischemic cerebral damage needs to be studied further.