LIPID-PEROXIDATION POTENTIAL AND ANTIOXIDANT STATUS OF CIRCUMVENTRICULAR ORGANS OF RAT-BRAIN FOLLOWING NEONATAL MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE

Glutamate (glu), an excitatory aminoacid neurotransmitter is abundantl y present in the brain of mammals, as well as in dietary protein. Earl ier studies with glu mostly involved histopathological and neuroendocr ine changes in the blood-brain-barrier deficient areas of brain follow ing its systemic administration. The present study examined lipid pero xidation potential and anti-oxidant parameters of immature rat mid-bra in region which include arcuate nucleus, hypothalamus, and other circu mventricular organs (CVO) following their exposure to monosodium gluta mate (MSG) neonatally. This compound was administered at a dose of 4 m g/g bwt, sc, for the first ten days of postnatal period. Animals were sacrificed on postnatal day 25, and the lipid peroxidation potential w as evaluated. The treatment of MSG significantly increased lipid perox idation (P < 0.01) as well as the activity of anti-oxidant enzyme cata lase (P < 0.025) and significantly depleted total and free sulfhydryl groups (P < 0.05) in the CVO. These results indicate that neonatal MSG treatment produces neuronal damage in the CVO by increasing lipid per oxidation and is in agreement with the hypothesis that excitotoxins ma y generate free radicals in causing neurotoxicity. (C) 1994 Intox Pres s, Inc.