Cycloleucine uptake in the brainstem of thiamine-deficient rats

Immature female rats were subjected to acute dietary deficiency of thiamine. An autoradiographic method was used in the semi-quantitative determination of concentration of 1-aminocyclopentane-1-carboxylic acid-carboxylic-14C (cycloleucine) in brainstem regions after intravenous administration of tracer quantities. The time course of tissue concentrations was followed and compared with that of normal and isocaloric control animals. Our data indicate that thiamine deficiency of sufficient magnitude to induce brainstem lesions has an effect on the transport of cycloleucine. The initial 2 min values in the nuclear areas are appreciably reduced whereas the 6 min values are significantly elevated as compared with controls; no change was demonstrated in the white matter of the inferior cerebellar peduncle. The effect on transport appears to be more on the mechanism of efflux than of influx in terms of blood brain barrier function.