Disposition of Γ‐aminobutyric Acid Administered to Mammals*

Supplementation of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) affects temporal, but not spatial visual attention

“…However, the evidence to date for cognitive effects of GABA ingestion are limited. Indeed, it has long been thought that the blood-brain barrier would prevent the uptake of GABA, rendering its consumption ineffective (Van Gelder & Elliott, 1958). Nevertheless, Steenbergen, Sellaro, Stock, Beste, and Colzato (2015b) administered an oral dose of 800 mg GABA to participants, who performed a stop-change paradigm, as in the previously cited study by Steenbergen et al (2015a), and observed enhanced action selection, replicating and extending their previous study.…”

Blood-pressure-lowering effect of a novel fermented milk containing γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in mild hypertensives

“…One of them is as follows. Because GABA hardly passes the blood -brain barrier (Van Gelder & Elliott, 1958;Kuriyama & Sze, 1971), this molecule acts not in the central nervous system but in the peripheral. In our previous study, GABA inhibited not only the perivascular nerve stimulationinduced increase in perfusion pressure in the mesenteric arterial bed from spontaneously hypertensive rats but also the accompanying noradrenaline release through the molecule's action on presynaptic GABA B receptors.…”

Biochemical Pharmacology of GABA in CNS

“…Since GABA administered to intact adult mammals does not cross the blood-brain barrier (van Gelder and Elliott, 1958;Strasberg et at., 1967), the initial attempts at modifying GABA metabolism were aimed at increasing GAB A levels by blocking the activity of GABA-AT. At the same time, an increasing number of papers dealing with the effects of convulsants on brain GABA metabolism appeared, and the pharmacology of GABA showed an unexpected complexity when correlated with behavioral effects.…”