EXPERIMENTAL HEPATIC-ENCEPHALOPATHY - CHANGES IN THE BINDING OF GAMMA-AMINOBUTYRIC ACID

Two populations of receptors for GABA, one with low- and the other with high-affinity characteristics, are detectable in frozen, thawed, Triton-treated synaptic membrane preparations from normal brain. Membrane preparations from rats with mild galactosamine-induced hepatic encephalopathy show an increase in the number of low- and high-affinity GABA binding sites, whereas those from rats with severe encephalopathy show only high-affinity binding sites. Hepatic encephalopathy appears to involve partial degeneration of the GABA-containing presynaptic nerve terminals.