Purification of rat brain succinate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase and study of its inhibition by branched chain fatty acids]

Rat brain succinic semialdehyde deshydrogenase has been purified 1300 fold. This enzyme is inhibited non competitively by the same branched chain fatty acids which inhibit GABA-transaminase competitively with respect to GABA. The respective activities of GABA-T and SSADH found in rat brain indicate that at anticonvulsant doses, the acids dipropylacetic and 2-methyl 2-ethyl caproic preferentially inhibit GABA-transaminase thus inducing a rise in cerebral GABA level. This increase is therefore not due to metabolism of the succinic semialdehyde by GABA-T.