EFFECT OF METHIONINE AND METHIONINE SULPHOXIMINE ON RAT BRAIN S -ADENOSYL METHIONINE LEVELS

Rat brain SAM levels were markedly increased after methionine administration, whereas the convulsant, L-methionine-dl-sulphoximine (MSO), produced a 35 per cent decrease in whole brain content of S -adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM). When methionine was given in combination with MSO, SAM levels were not decreased. Studies on the regional distribution of SAM revealed only a small variation between regions (from 24 nmol/g in midbrain to 49-5 nmol/g in striatum). SAM levels were reduced by about 50 per cent in the cerebellum, striatum, cortex and hippocampus 3 and 6 h after MSO. It is proposed that abberant cerebral methylation processes may be involved in the genesis of the MSO seizure.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/65351/1/j.1471-4159.1975.tb07628.x.pd