EFFECT OF NEONATAL MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE ON THE ACTIVITIES OF GLUTAMATE-DEHYDROGENASE AND AMINOTRANSFERASES IN THE CIRCUMVENTRICULAR ORGANS OF RAT-BRAIN

Glutamate (Glu) the major amino acid in mammalian brain and most dieta ry proteins possesses neurotransmitter as well as neurotoxic propertie s. We administered monosodium glutamate (MSG)4 mg/g bwt, sc on postnat al day (PND) 1 through 10 to rats on alternate days or daily and sacri ficed them on PND 45 or PND 90 respectively. The activities of glutama te dehydrogenase and aminotransferases were evaluated in the circumven tricular organs of brain. Results show that neonatal MSG produces alte rations in glutamate metabolism in blood-brain-barrier deficient regio ns.