Nature 232, 275 - 276 (23 July 1971); doi:10.1038/232275a0

Monosodium Glutamate induces Convulsive Disorders in Rats

H. N. BHAGAVAN^*, D. B. COURSIN^* & C. N. STEWART^†

^*Research Institute, St Joseph Hospital, Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17604
^†Department of Psychology, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17604

THE physiological and pharmacological effects of L-glutamate have received much attention since its implication in the aetiology of the "Chinese restaurant syndrome"¹⁻³. Although an excess of L-glutamic acid (GA) as the monosodium salt (MSG) was known to cause retinopathy in experimental animals⁴⁻⁷, brain lesions have been noticed only recently⁸⁻¹⁰. There seems to be no agreement about its pharmacological and neurophysiological effects in humans¹¹ and experimental animals¹².

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