PRESENCE OF GLUTATHIONE IMMUNOREACTIVITY IN CULTURED NEURONS AND ASTROCYTES

ALTHOUGH glutathione (GSH) is considered an important antioxidant in t he brain, its cellular localization is unclear. In general, neurones a re supposed to contain considerably less GSH than astrocytes. We deter mined biochemically and immunocytochemically the presence of GSH in cu ltured neurones and astrocytes from the cortex, mesencephalon and stri atum. Cortical neurones contained less GSH than astrocytes whereas GSH levels in neurones from the striatum and mesencephalon were comparabl e to those in astrocytes. Immunocytochemistry showed significant GSH s taining in neurones. Fluorescent double staining of GSH and tyrosine h ydroxylase revealed that dopaminergic neurones also contained GSH, alt hough apparently at a lower level than other mesencephalic neurones.