ABSTRACT
The therapeutic use of BAL (2,3-dimercaptopropanol) as treatment for poisoning has been halted by data suggesting serious neurotoxicity. This article is a report on the effects of BAL and other dithiols, DMSA (meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid) and DMPS (2,3-dimercaptopropane-1-sulfonic acid), on [3H]glutamate release and uptake by rat brain synaptosomes and [3H]glutamate uptake by synaptic vesicles. BAL (100 microM) inhibited glutamate uptake (30%) and stimulated its basal release (30%) in synaptosomes, without affecting K+-stimulated release. BAL also inhibited glutamate uptake by synaptic vesicles (up to 60%). DMPS and DMSA (100 microM) had no significant effects on these parameters. The data reported here provide some evidence of glutamate involvement in BAL-induced neurotoxicity by demonstrating direct effects of BAL on glutamatergic system modulation.
