Synthesis and proton NMR spectroscopy of intra-vesicular gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA).

We report the synthesis of vesicles containing gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and their proton nuclear magnetic resonance ((1)H NMR) spectra. These vesicles were constructed to more closely mimic the intracellular environment wherein GABA exists. For this study, these GABA-containing vesicles were examined under (1)H NMR as a potential platform for future studies on the differences between aqueous phantoms, ex vivo brain extracts, and in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy results. We found that intra-vesicular GABA faithfully yielded the chemical shifts and J-coupling constants of free aqueous GABA, alongside the chemical shift signals of the vesicle wall.