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γ-Aminobutyric Acid Uptake by Sympathetic Ganglia

Nature New Biology volume 238, pages 89–91 (1972)Cite this article

Abstract

EXOGENOUS γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) accumulates against a concentration gradient in isolated mammalian nervous tissue1–3 and mixes with GABA stored in the tissue4. Thus, neurones which use GABA as an inhibitory transmitter might be identified by locating sites of accumulation of radioactively-labelled GABA using autoradiography5–7, assuming that exogenous GABA is only taken up into neurones already containing GABA. A correlation between GABA uptake and endogenous content has been noted in slices from different parts of the brain3 and in different nerve-ending fractions8–10. These experiments, however, do not show whether GABA can be accumulated in nerve tissue totally devoid of “gabanergic” neurones. To test this, we have measured the uptake of GABA by isolated sympathetic ganglia. The principal transmitter in the ganglion is acetylcholine while the postganglionic neurones are mainly adrenergic. By analogy with the brain, the ganglion contains negligible amounts of GABA, glutamic decarboxylase or GABA-transaminase11,12.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology, St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College, Charterhouse Square, London, EC1

    N. G. BOWERY & D. A. BROWN

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  1. N. G. BOWERY
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  2. D. A. BROWN
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BOWERY, N., BROWN, D. γ-Aminobutyric Acid Uptake by Sympathetic Ganglia. Nature New Biology 238, 89–91 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1038/newbio238089a0

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