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Prolonged glutamate excitotoxicity: Effects on mitochondrial antioxidants and antioxidant enzymes

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Abstract

Glutamate, a major excitatory amino acid neurotransmitter is also an endogenous excitotoxin. The present study examined the prolonged and delayed effects of glutamate excitotoxicity on mitochondrial lipid peroxidation and antioxidant parameters in different brain regions, namely, cerebral hemisphere, cerebellum, brain stem and diencephalon. Wistar rats (male) were exposed to monosodium glutamate (MSG) (4 mg × g body wt−1, i.p.) for 6 consecutive days and sacrificed on 30th and 45th day after last MSG dose. MSG treatment markedly decreased the mitochondrial manganese superoxide-dismutase (Mn-SOD), catalase and reduced glutathione (GSH) content, and increased the lipid peroxidation (LPx), uric acid and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity. These results indicate that oxidative stress produced by glutamate in vulnerable brain regions may persist for longer periods and mitochondrial function impairment is an important mechanism of excitatory amino acid mediated neurotoxicity in chronic neurodegeneration.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neurochemistry and Neuroendocrinology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, 143 005, India

    Puneet Singh & Gurcharan Kaur

  2. Department of Zoology, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, 143 005, India

    Karun Arora Mann & Harjit Kaur Mangat

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  1. Puneet Singh
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Singh, P., Arora Mann, K., Kaur Mangat, H. et al. Prolonged glutamate excitotoxicity: Effects on mitochondrial antioxidants and antioxidant enzymes. Mol Cell Biochem 243, 139–145 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021668314070

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