Glutamate transporter-1 and cerebral ischemia / 国际脑血管病杂志

ABSTRACT

Glutamate is an essential excitatory neurotransmitter which regulates brain functions.An increase in extracellular glutamate could excessively activate ionotropic glutamate receptors,initiate calcium overload,and lead to cell death after cerebral ischemia.Glutamate transporter-1 (GLT-1) is one of the major glutamate transporters expressed predominantly in astrocytes.Astrocytes also express the enzyme glutamine synthetase (GS) which converts the glutamate to glutamine; the latter is then 'recycled' into neurons.Pretreatment with ceftriaxone (CEF),ischemia and intermittent hypobaric hypoxia could lead to neuroprotection by increasing the expression of GLT-1 and regulating the activity of glutamate transporter in brain.