Delta-Aminolaevulinic acid and amino acid neurotransmitters

The effects of the porphyrin precursor delta-aminolaevulinic acid (ALA) on gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and L-glutamate transmitter systems was investigated in rat brain. It was found that ALA inhibited GABA and glutamate uptake and stimulated basal efflux of the amino acids in purified nerve endings. These effects were evident only at relatively high concentrations of ALA (at least 100 microM). Such concentrations probably do not occur in the nervous systems of patients suffering from acute porphyria. In addition, it was found that ALA inhibited the stimulated release of GABA from nerve endings probably by acting as an agonist at GABA autoreceptors. This effect was found at very low concentrations of ALA (1 microM). It is therefore likely that the neuropsychiatric manifestations of the acute porphyric attack are attributable, to some extent, to reduced GABA release at central synapses.