A DERIVATIVE OF A RIGID GLUTAMATE ANALOG PROTECTS THE RETINA FROM EXCITOTOXICITY

IN the retina, the activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGl uRs) reduces the toxic effect of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA). We have induced NMDA-mediated excitotoxicity in the adult rat retina by a sing le intraocular injection of NMDA. The damage that resulted was estimat ed by assessing the NMDA-induced loss of retinal choline acetyltransfe rase (ChAT) activity. The new rigid glutamate analog, dimethyl ester o f (+/-)-trans-azetidine-2,4-dicarboxylic acid (t-DMADA), with a putati ve mGluR-agonistic activity, protected the retina from NMDA-induced lo ss of ChAT activity. This study demonstrated that t-DMADA can be consi dered a prototype of new retino-protective agents.