EFFECT OF NEONATAL MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE ON LIPID-PEROXIDATION IN ADULT-RAT BRAIN

GLUTAMATE (glu), an excitatory amino acid (EAA) abundantly present in the brain of mammals, is also a neurotoxin. We examined lipid peroxida tion (LPO) potential and antioxidant parameters of midbrain region (MB R) and frontal cortex of adult rats following treatment with monosodiu m glutamate (MSG) during postnatal day (PND) 1 through PND 10 at a dai ly dose of 4 mg g(-1) body weight. In PND 90 rats MSG increased LPO by 56% and altered antioxidant status of MBR. This indicates that oxidat ive stress produced by glu in vulnerable brain regions may persist for prolonged periods and could be one of the mechanisms of EAA neurotoxi city resulting in chronic neurodegeneration.