The brain amino acid pattern in experimental coma due to phenytoin in guinea pigs

An experimental study was carried out on 50 guinea pigs to evaluate the amino acid pattern in the whole brain after a toxic dose of phenytoin (1 g . kg-1 body wt). One group of 25 guinea pigs was treated with the drug which made them comatose, and their brains removed by craniotomy and frozen in liquid nitrogen; 25 guinea pigs were used as a control group. The brain amino acid pattern was determined by ion-exchange chromatography. All the amino acids, except threonine and methionine, decreased. Hypotheses about the particular cerebral metabolic pathways involved are discussed.