CARBON-MONOXIDE FORMATION IN THE GUINEA-PIG HIPPOCAMPUS - ONTOGENY AND EFFECT OF IN-VITRO ETHANOL EXPOSURE

Carbon monoxide (CO) is considered to be a novel neuronal messenger in the brain, similar to nitric oxide. The ontogeny of CO formation in t ransverse hippocampal slices of the guinea pig was elucidated at selec ted prenatal and postnatal ages, and the effect of in vitro ethanol ex posure on hippocampal CO formation was determined. There was a higher rate of hippocampal CO formation in the fetus at gestational day (GD) 50 and GD 62 (term, about GD 68) compared with the adult. in vitro eth anol exposure (50 and 100 mM) decreased hippocampal CO formation in th e GD 62 fetus, which was prevented by incubation with 500 mu M L-gluta mate. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.