%0 Journal Article
%T Vitamin E-Induced Changes in Glutamate and GABA Metabolizing Enzymes of Chick Embryo Cerebrum
%A Ivy Pereira
%A Shanti N. Dessai
%A Annaliza Pinto
%J ISRN Neurology
%D 2013
%R 10.1155/2013/851235
%X Vitamin E exists in eight different forms, four tocopherols and four tocotrienols. It forms an important component of our antioxidant system. The structure of Vitamin E makes it unique and indispensable in protecting cell membranes. ¦Á-tocopherol, one of the forms of Vitamin E, is also known to regulate signal transduction pathways by mechanisms that are independent of its antioxidant properties. Vitamin E compounds reduce the production of inflammatory compounds such as prostaglandins. Swollen, dystrophic axons are considered as the hallmark of Vitamin E deficiency in the brains of rats, monkeys, and humans. The present work aimed to study the Vitamin E- (¦Á-tochopherol acetate-) induced alterations of enzymes involved in metabolism of Glutamate and GABA during developmental neurogenesis of cerebrum. Therefore, cytosolic and crude mitochondrial enzyme activities of glutamine synthetase, aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, GABA transaminase, succinic Semialdehyde dehydrogenase, glutamic dehydrogenase, and ¦Á-Ketoglutarate dehydrogenase were analysed. Vitamin E induced significant changes in these enzymes thus altering the normal levels of glutamate and GABA during developmental neurogenesis. Such changes are surely to disturb the expression and/or intensity of neurotransmitter signaling during critical periods of brain development. 1. Introduction Vitamin E activity was first identified in the year 1936 from a dietary fertility factor in rats. Tocopherols (or TCPs) constitute a class of chemical compounds which possess Vitamin E activity. They are series of organic compounds consisting of various methylated phenols. Vitamin E exists in eight different forms, four tocopherols and four tocotrienols. Each form has a chromanol ring, with a hydroxyl group that can donate a hydrogen atom to reduce free radicals and a hydrophobic side chain which allows for penetration into biological membranes. Both the tocopherols and tocotrienols occur in alpha, beta, gamma, and delta forms, designated by the number of methyl groups on the chromanol ring. The alpha is most highly methylated having maximum of three methyl groups on the chromanol ring in comparison with beta, gamma, and delta forms having two, one, and no methyl groups on the chromanol ring, respectively. Synthetic Vitamin E derived from petroleum products is manufactured as all-racemic alpha tocopheryl acetate with a mixture of eight stereoisomers. In this mixture, one alpha-tocopherol molecule in eight molecules is in the form of RRR-alpha-tocopherol. The eight stereoisomers of alpha-tocopherol
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn.neurology/2013/851235/