Levels of Free Amino Acids in Serum and Cerebrospinal Fluid After Administration of Taurine to Epileptic and Normal Subjects

Abstract
The modifications associated with taurine treatment of the free amino acid level of serum and CSF were investigated in epileptic and control subjects. In patients with epilepsy the main finding in the serum was the correction toward normal of the amino acid levels that were low prior to therapy; in the CSF, the increase to above-normal levels of glutamic acid greatly diminished before treatment. Taurine, which has an anticonvulsant action, appears to partially correct the amino acid imbalance in epileptics. The monitoring of taurine-induced glutamate changes in the CSF could help to establish the correct therapeutic dose.