Tag: beta-alanine

beta-Alanine and gamma-aminobutyric acid in chronic fatigue syndrome

Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Due to the occurrence of sleep disturbances and fatigue in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), an investigation was performed to examine if there is an abnormal excretion of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and/or its structural analogue beta-alanine in the urine from CFS patients. Both GABA and beta-alanine are inhibitory neurotransmitters in the mammalian central nervous system.

METHODS: The 24 h urine excretion of GABA and beta-alanine was determined by isotope dilution gas chromatography mass spectrometry in 33 CFS patients and 43 healthy controls. The degree of symptoms in both patients and controls was measured by grading of three typical CFS symptoms using a Visual Analogue Scale.

RESULTS: Men had a significantly higher excretion of both beta-alanine and GABA than women. Comparing CFS patients with healthy controls showed no significant difference in excretion of neither beta-alanine nor GABA. No correlation was found between the excretion of beta-alanine or GABA and any of the three characteristic CFS symptoms measured. However, two female and two male CFS patients excreted considerably higher amounts of beta-alanine in their 24 h urine samples than control subjects.

CONCLUSIONS: Increased excretion of beta-alanine was found in a subgroup of CFS patients, indicating that there may be a link between CFS and beta-alanine in some CFS patients.

 

Source: Hannestad U, Theodorsson E, Evengård B. beta-Alanine and gamma-aminobutyric acid in chronic fatigue syndrome. Clin Chim Acta. 2007 Feb;376(1-2):23-9. Epub 2006 Jul 14. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16934791

 

Preliminary determination of the association between symptom expression and urinary metabolites in subjects with chronic fatigue syndrome

Abstract:

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) patients have a urinary metabolite labeled CFSUM1 with increased incidence (P < 0.004) and relative abundance (P < 0.00003). The relative abundances of urinary CFSUM1 and beta-alanine were associated with alterations in metabolite excretion and symptom incidence.

In 20 CFS patients and 45 non-CFS subjects, symptom/metabolite associations were investigated by assessing symptom sensitivity and specificity, and symptom indices of total symptom incidence, CFS core symptoms, cognitive, neurological, musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal, infection-related and genitourinary symptom indices, as well as a visual analogue pain scale of average pain intensity. Thirty-three symptoms had significant (P < 0.005) sensitivity and specificity in the CFS patients compared to that in the non-CFS controls.

Severe fatigue was the only symptom with 100% sensitivity and specificity and CFSUM1 excretion was the primary metabolite for expression of this symptom. All nine symptom indices had elevated responses in the CFS patients (all P < 0.0000001). Multiple regression analyses indicated that all the symptom indices had significant correlations (R) with changes in the urinary excretion of metabolites (P < 0.0001).

CFSUM1 and beta-alanine were the first and second metabolites correlated with the CFS core symptom index and CFSUM1 was primarily associated with infection-related and musculoskeletal indices whereas beta-alanine was primarily associated with gastrointestinal and genitourinary indices. The strong associations of CFSUM1 and beta-alanine with CFS symptom expression provide a molecular basis for developing an objective test for CFS.

 

Source: McGregor NR, Dunstan RH, Zerbes M, Butt HL, Roberts TK, Klineberg IJ. Preliminary determination of the association between symptom expression and urinary metabolites in subjects with chronic fatigue syndrome. Biochem Mol Med. 1996 Jun;58(1):85-92. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8809350

 

Preliminary determination of a molecular basis of chronic fatigue syndrome

Abstract:

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/ME) is a debilitating fatigue illness that has an unknown etiology. We studied 20 chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) patients, who complied with the Oxford and American CDC definitions, and 45 non-CFS subjects.

Participants completed questionnaires, were clinically examined, and had first morning urine specimens collected, which were screened by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for changes in metabolite excretion.

Multivariate analysis of the urinary metabolite profiles differed significantly in the CFS patients compared to the non-CFS patients (P < 0.004). The CFS patients had increases in aminohydroxy-N-methylpyrrolidine (P < 0.00003, referred to as chronic fatigue symptom urinary marker 1, or CFSUM1), tyrosine (P < 0.02), beta-alanine (P < 0.02), aconitic acid (P < 0.05), and succinic acid (P < 0.05) and reductions in an unidentified urinary metabolite, CFSUM2 (P < 0.0007), alanine (P < 0.005), and glutamic acid (P < 0.02). CFSUM1, beta-alanine, and CFSUM2 were found by discriminant function analysis to be the first, second, and third most important metabolites, respectively for discriminating between CFS and non-CFS subjects.

The abundances of CFSUM1 and beta-alanine were positively correlated with symptom incidence (P < 0.01 and P < 0.001, respectively), symptom severity, core CFS symptoms, and SCL-90-R somatization (P < 0.00001), suggesting a molecular basis for CFS.

 

Source: McGregor NR, Dunstan RH, Zerbes M, Butt HL, Roberts TK, Klineberg IJ. Preliminary determination of a molecular basis of chronic fatigue syndrome. Biochem Mol Med. 1996 Apr;57(2):73-80. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8733884