EFFECT OF GLUTAMATE TRANSPORTER ON NEURONAL DAMAGE-INDUCED BY PHOTOCHEMICAL THROMBOTIC BRAIN ISCHEMIA

To study the effects of glutamate transporters on the pathogenesis of brain infarct, pharmacological and histological analyses were carried out on the thrombotic focal ischemic model. Expression of mRNA coding for the glutamate transporter GLAST increased significantly in the pen umbra at 72 h following the ischemia. Combined with confocal laser sca nning microscopic analysis, double staining showed expression of GLAST mRNA in both neurons and glial cells in the penumbra. L-trans-Pyrroli dine-2,4-dicarboxylate (L-trans-PDC), a glutamate uptake inhibitor, do se-dependently enhanced the volume of the infarct induced by the ische mia. The results suggest that a compensatory increase in the activity of glutamate transporter may accompany pathogical changes after ischem ic injury. (C) 1998 Rapid Science Ltd.