POTENTIATED GLUCOSE DEPRIVATION-INDUCED DEATH OF ASTROCYTES AFTER INDUCTION OF INOS

Astrocytes play an essential role in the maintenance of normal neurona l function. Here we report that pretreatment of interferon-gamma (IFN- gamma) and lipopolysaccharides (LPS) made murine astrocytes highly vul nerable to glucose deprivation-induced death. Neither 12-hr glucose de privation nor 2-day treatment with IFN-gamma (100 U/ml) and LPS (1 mu g/ml) altered the viability of astrocytes. However, significant death of IFN-gamma/LPS-treated astrocytes was observed after 4-hr glucose de privation. This augmented death was mimicked by the nitric oxide relea sing reagent 3-morpholinosydnonimine and was in part prevented by the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N-G-nitroarginine. The data indicate t hat immunostimulated astrocytes can undergo suicidal death during gluc ose deprivation through the expression of inducible nitric oxide synth ase. J. Neurosci. Res. 54:870-875, 1998. (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.