Potent Anti-Seizure Effects of D-Leucine

"Even at low doses, D-leucine ( amino acid) suppressed ongoing seizures at least as effectively as diazepam but without sedative effects. These studies raise the possibility that D-leucine may represent a new class of anti-seizure agents, and that D-leucine may have a previously unknown function in eukaryotes.

In an initial set of experiments, researchers pre-treated mice with the amino acid L-leucine and another one, called D-leucine, which has a nearly identical structure to L-leucine and is essentially its biochemical mirror image.

When researchers induced seizures with shock therapy, animals pre-treated with either amino acid fared better, developing seizures at notably higher electric currents than mice that received placebo, a sign of greater seizure resistance.

To see whether D-leucine and L-leucine could also interrupt ongoing seizures, researchers induced seizures in a group of animals and, once convulsions began, they administered low and high doses of both amino acids. L-leucine failed to abort ongoing seizures, while D-leucine effectively interrupted convulsions. Strikingly, the researchers say, D-leucine terminated seizures even at low doses. Next, researchers compared the ability of D-leucine to terminate prolonged, unrelenting seizures against the sedative diazepam, commonly used stop such seizures in humans. Both treatments terminated seizures, but D-leucine did so about 15 minutes earlier. In addition, mice treated with D-leucine resumed normal behavior faster and experienced none of the drowsiness and sluggishness observed in animals treated with the drug, also common side effects seen in human patients.

A final set of experiments measured D-leucine interaction with several nerve receptors known to be involved in cell-to-cell signaling and seizure activity. Surprisingly, D-leucine interacted with none of the signaling pathways known to spark or avert seizures.

Our results suggest that D-leucine affects neurons differently from other known therapies to control seizures,” says senior investigator J. Marie Hardwick, Ph.D., the David Bodian Professor in microbiology and immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “This finding gives us hope of new approaches to epilepsy on the horizon.

Both L-leucine and D-leucine protect mice against seizures."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26054437

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news...entify_amino_acid_that_stops_seizures_in_mice

http://www.amazon.com/BulkSupplements-Pure-L-Leucine-Powder-grams/dp/B00GW5ZHI2/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00HF61IB2/

 

Interesting @Danny Boy, so this is a thing that can be easily obtained? Have you been taking it?

 

It is easily absorbed. I'm getting some today. Worth a try.

 

So I believe there's difference between D-Leucine and L-Leucine, and it must be specially D-Leucine in this case?

 

Looks like D is not sold for human consumption; only lab testing. L still had some results on the mice. I supose this could help people with myoclonus if it can be absorbed effectively enough when ingested--though it looks like D is the real deal.

 

Only place I found D-leucine at was here: http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/product/aldrich/855448?lang=en&region=SE

But I still don't get it L version makes effect at all?

 

We cannot buy in sigmaaldrich, they only sell for investigation purposes. I tried it with D-met.

 

I thought you had your tinnitus well under control with Trobalt, even after ceasing to use it. Are you planning to use the leucine as a preventive measure, or is your tinnitus at a level where you need to subdue it again?

For U.S. members, here's the short link to a highly-rated leucine product on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/BulkSupplements-Pure-L-Leucine-Powder-grams/dp/B00GW5ZHI2/

Edit to add, the manufacturers state in the Q&A that this leucine is derived from either duck feathers or lecithin, depending on the batch they have in stock. This is not an acceptable product for vegans and vegetarians.

 

That´s L not D-Leucine.

 

Seizure meds do help some people with tinnitus. Gabapentin taken with Klonopin is actually one of the first go-to combinations recommended by docs who know a little something about tinnitus because these meds target the GABAa receptors. Lots of articles/research about this online. I take Primidone (a seizure med) at 600mg every night and it tremendously helps my tinnitus, especially if I take it with L-Tryptophan. I also take Trileptal (another seizure med) because it has been shown to lower the pitch of tinnitus, and my tinnitus is very shrill (10.5kHz).

The Primidone gives me about five quiet to very low days a week, and I used to have Level 10--no, actually Level 11!--screeching tinnitus, with some days being that electrical brain-buzz tinnitus in the center of your head like you are plugged into an electrical cord. Had it for years until I started experimenting (with my doctor's help) with seizure meds. High-grade (but expensive) helichrysum helps me, too.

But I'd say the Primidone helps me the most. Sadly, others with terrible tinnitus who have tried it say the Primidone makes them drowsy.

 

Have been using L-leucine for quite a long time as it is one of the main amino acid that goes to all BCAA supplements for those long workouts at the gym. I don't think that it gave me any effect unless you need high doses for it to work >5grams.

 

Bumping old thread from the dead.

Even if we can't readily find this enantiomer we can certainly make it in normal foods.

If I can find a supplement of it I can mix it with lye, microwave, do an acid workup (even lemon juice), chill and extract.

First thing to come out of solution should be a 50:50 enantiomer mixture.

Unless you can buy it as is. Can't just heat it up. Needs high pH.

Probiotics might help with this as a supplement too.