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Contents of 35 amino acids and related compounds were measured in whole rat brain, and in superficial areas of biopsied and autopsied human brain, after incubation for various intervals at temperatures simulating those likely to occur in cadavers under mortuary conditions. These data should aid interpretation of values for amino compounds determined in autopsied brain from patients with neurological or psychiatric disorders. The contents of glutamic acid, glutamine, taurine, phosphoethanolamine, cystathionine, and homocarnosine remain unchanged for long periods in human brain. Aspartic acid content is stable for 4 h after death, but thereafter rises rapidly. Glycine content rises rapidly, as do the contents of most amino acid components of proteins. Glutathione content drops rapidly in human brain after death. GABA content is stable for about 30 min, and rises to a maximum 2 to 3 h after death, after which it remains unchanged for at least 24 h. In rat brain, GABA content rises more rapidly, aspartate content rises more slowly, homocarnosine content decreases progressively, and glycerophosphoethanolamine content decreases more rapidly than in human brain.

Abstract— Contents (μmol/g wet wt.) of 35 free amino acids and related compounds were measured in 12 different regions of each of five human brains. Specimens were obtained at autopsy from patients who died suddenly without previous brain disease. These data may serve for later comparison with contents of amino compounds in similar regions of the brains of patients dying with various neurological or psychiatric disorders. There were marked and consistent differences in the regional distribution of the following eight compounds: γ‐aminobutyric acid, homocarnosine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, taurine, cystathionine, glycerophosphoethanolamine, and phosphoethanolamine. These differences suggest that some of these compounds may have special physiological roles, including the possible mediation of synaptic transmission. Human brain contains two previously unreported compounds, the mixed disulphide of cysteine and glutathione and α‐(γ‐aminobutyryl)‐lysine. The latter dipeptide occurs in much higher concentrations in human brain than in the brains of lower mammals.