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 (¹H 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 ¹H 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.