Scientists identify amino acid that stops seizures in mice

Sunday, June 21, 2015 - 17:30 in Health & Medicine

An amino acid whose role in the body has been all but a mystery appears to act as a potent seizure inhibitor in mice, according to a study. In a series of experiments, the amino acid D-leucine, found in many foods and certain bacteria, interrupted prolonged seizures, a serious condition known as status epilepticus, and it did so just as effectively as the epilepsy drug diazepam -- the choice of treatment for patients in the throes of convulsions -- but without any of the drug's sedative side effects.

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