Premium
Inhibition of glutamate uptake induces progressive accumulation of extracellular glutamate and neuronal damage in rat cortical cultures
Author(s) -
Velasco I.,
Tapia R.,
Massieu L.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
journal of neuroscience research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.72
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1097-4547
pISSN - 0360-4012
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-4547(19960615)44:6<551::aid-jnr5>3.0.co;2-a
Subject(s) - glutamate receptor , extracellular , glutamine , nmda receptor , biochemistry , glutamine synthetase , metabotropic glutamate receptor , biology , antagonist , lactate dehydrogenase , chemistry , amino acid , biophysics , receptor , enzyme
Abstract It is known that neurons exposed to high concentrations of glutamate degenerate and die. The clearance of this amino acid from the extracellular space depends on their active transport by Na + ‐dependent high‐affinity carriers. In the present study we tested whether inhibition of glutamate transport in mixed glial/neuronal cortical cultures induces accumulation of extracellular glutamate and whether such increase results in cell damage. Three inhibitors of glutamate transport were used: L‐ trans ‐pyrrolidine‐2,4‐dicarboxylate (PDC), DL‐ threo ‐β‐hydroxyaspartate (THA), and dihydrokainate (DHK). Cell damage was assessed by light microscopy observations, reduction of 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide, and leakage of lactate dehydrogenase. PDC induced a significant concentration‐ and time‐dependent neuronal damage, whereas pure glial cultures were not affected. A good correlation was found between this damage and elevations of glutamate concentration in the medium. These effects of PDC were similar in glutamine‐free medium and in medium supplemented with glutamine. THA induced identical cell damage and elevations of extracellular glutamate to those produced by PDC, while DHK did not affect at all any of these parameters. PDC‐ and THA‐induced toxicity was protected by the N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor antagonist (+)‐5‐methyl‐10,11‐dihydro‐5H‐dibenzo‐(a,d)cyclohepten‐5,10‐imine maleate but not by the non‐N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor antagonist 2,3‐dihydroxy‐6‐nitro‐7‐sulfamoyl‐benzo(f)quinoxaline. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.