Effects of the nitric oxide donor, DEA/NO on cortical spreading depression.

Cortical spreading depression (CSD) is a transient disruption of local ionic homeostasis that may promote migraine attacks and the progression of stroke lesions. We reported previously that the local inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis with Nomega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) delayed markedly the initiation of the recovery of ionic homeostasis from CSD. Here we describe a novel method for selective, controlled generation of exogenous NO in a functioning brain region. It is based on microdialysis perfusion of the NO donor, 2-(N,N-diethylamino)-diazenolate-2-oxide (DEA/NO). As DEA/NO does not generate NO at alkaline pH, and as the brain has a strong acid-base buffering capacity, DEA/NO was perfused in a medium adjusted at alkaline (but unbuffered) pH. Without DEA/NO, such a microdialysis perfusion medium did not alter CSD. DEA/NO (1, 10 and 100 microM) had little effect on CSD by itself, but it reversed in a concentration-dependent manner the effects of NOS inhibition by 1 mM L-NAME. These data demonstrate that increased formation of endogenous NO associated with CSD is critical for subsequent, rapid recovery of cellular ionic homeostasis. In this case, the molecular targets for NO may be located either on brain cells to suppress mechanisms directly involved in CSD genesis, or on local blood vessels to couple flow to the increased energy demand associated with CSD.

Kynurenine 3-hydroxylase inhibition in rats: effects on extracellular kynurenic acid concentration and N-methyl-D-aspartate-induced depolarisation in the striatum.

Inhibition of kynurenine 3-hydroxylase suppresses quinolinic acid synthesis and, therefore, shunts all kynurenine metabolism toward kynurenic acid (KYNA) formation. This may be a pertinent antiexcitotoxic strategy because quinolinic acid is an agonist of NMDA receptors, whereas kynurenic acid antagonises all ionotropic glutamate receptors with preferential affinity for the NMDA receptor glycine site. We have examined whether the kynurenine 3-hydroxylase inhibitor Ro 61-8048 increases extracellular (KYNA) sufficiently to control excessive NMDA receptor function. Microdialysis probes incorporating an electrode were implanted into the striatum of anaesthetised rats, repeated NMDA stimuli were applied through the probe, and the resulting depolarisation was recorded. Changes in extracellular KYNA were assessed by HPLC analysis of consecutive dialysate samples. Ro 61-8048 (42 or 100 mg/kg) markedly increased the dialysate levels of KYNA. The maximum increase (from 3.0 +/- 1.0 to 31.0 +/- 6.0 nM; means +/- SEM, n = 6) was observed 4 h after administration of 100 mg/kg Ro 61-8048, but the magnitude of the NMDA-induced depolarisations was not reduced. A separate study suggested that extracellular KYNA would need to be increased further by two orders of magnitude to become effective in this preparation. These results challenge the notion that kynurenine 3-hydroxylase inhibition may be neuroprotective, primarily through accumulation of KYNA and subsequent attenuation of NMDA receptor function.

In vivo assessment of kynurenate neuroprotective potency and quinolinate excitotoxicity.

Three complementary questions related to the kynurenine pathway and excitotoxicity were addressed in this study: (i) Which extracellular levels of quinolinic acid (QUIN) may be neurotoxic? (ii) Which extracellular levels of kynurenic acid (KYNA) may control excessive NMDA-receptor function? (iii) Can "anti-excitotoxic" levels of KYNA be reached by inhibition of kynurenine-3-hydroxylase (i.e. inhibition of QUIN synthesis and shunts of kynurenine metabolism toward KYNA)? Multifunctional microdialysis probes were used in halothane anaesthetised rats to apply NMDA or QUIN directly to the brain, with or without co-perfusion of KYNA, to record the resulting local depolarisations, and to monitor changes in dialysate KYNA after kynurenine-3-hydroxylase inhibition. QUIN produced concentration-dependent depolarisations with an estimated EC50 (i.e. concentration in the perfusion medium) of 1.22mM. The estimated ED50 for KYNA inhibition of NMDA-responses was 181microM. Kynurenine-3-hydroxylase inhibition (Ro-61-8048, 100mg/kg i.p.) increased dialysate KYNA 11 times (to 33.8nM) but without any reduction of NMDA-responses. These data challenge the notion that extracellular accumulation of endogenous QUIN may contribute to excessive NMDA-receptor activation in some neurological disorders, and the suitability of kynurenine-3-hydroxylase inhibition as an effective anti-excitotoxic strategy.

Pharmacological investigation into the involvement of nitric oxide in K+-induced cortical spreading depression.

Cortical spreading depression (CSD) is a transient, local disruption of cellular ionic homeostasis that propagates slowly across the cerebral cortex. As previous data have suggested a possible link between nitric oxide (NO) formation and CSD, we have examined whether CSD is suppressed by local inhibition of NO synthesis with 7-nitroindazole (7-NINA), a compound which may have a greater selectivity for the neuronal NO synthase isoform. Multifunctional microdialysis probes were implanted in the cortex of halothane-anaesthetised rats, and used for (1) elicitation of repetitive CSD by perfusion of 160 mM K+ through the probe, (2) recording of CSD as a negative shift of the extracellular direct current (DC) potential, and (3) perfusion of 7-NINA before and during CSD elicitation. Elicitation of CSD was moderately inhibited by 1 mM 7-NINA in the perfusion medium, as shown in one treated group (n=8) by a significant reduction of both number (from 5.1+/-0.4 to 3.6+/-0.4; P<0.05) and cumulative DC negativity (from 16.4+/-0.7 mV x min to 13.3+/-0.9 mV x min; P<0.01). However, effective concentrations of 7-NINA were at least 100-fold higher than its Ki for the target enzyme in vitro, the moderate inhibition of CSD by 7-NINA was not reversed by the NO precursor, L-arginine, and the amplitude of the K+-induced sustained DC potential negative shift was also reduced significantly by 7-NINA (from 27.9+/-0.9 mV to 23.9+/-1.2 mV; P<0.05). These data do not support the hypothesis that NO formation contributes to the elicitation of CSD by high extracellular K+. The finding that 7-NINA reduced the intensity of K+-induced depolarisation may be relevant to previous investigations that used this drug to examine the role of NO in the modulation of K+-induced neurotransmitter release.

Neuroprotective potency of kynurenic acid against excitotoxicity.

The aim of this study was to determine in vivo which extracellular levels of kynurenic acid (KYNA) are required to control excessive NMDA receptor activation in the rat cortex. As excitotoxicity is coupled to marked ion movements, local depolarisations induced by perfusion of NMDA or quinolinic acid (QUIN) through microdialysis probes were recorded at the site of excitotoxin application. Perfusion of KYNA through the dialysis fibre inhibited the excitotoxin responses with an IC50 of 32-66 microM (extracellular concentration corrected for microdialysis delivery), but > 10-fold lower levels of endogenous KYNA were reported to be neuroprotective. Accordingly, these results strengthen the notion that KYNA accumulation may protect the brain parenchyma by acting on different molecular target(s), besides the NMDA receptor glycine site.

Excitotoxicity in neurological disorders--the glutamate paradox.

Beneficial effects of glutamate-receptor antagonists in models of neurological disorders are often used to support the notion that endogenous excitotoxicity (i.e. resulting from extracellular accumulation of endogenous glutamate) is a major contributor to neuronal death associated with these conditions. However, this interpretation conflicts with a number of robust and important experimental evidence. Here, emphasis is placed on two key elements: (i) very high extracellular levels of glutamate must be reached to initiate neuronal death, far above those measured in models of neurological disorders; and (ii) changes in extracellular glutamate as measured by microdialysis are not related to changes in the synaptic cleft, i.e. the compartment where neurotransmitter glutamate interacts with its receptors. It has become clear that the diversity and complexity of glutamate-mediated processes allow for a wide range of potential abnormalities (e.g. loss of selectivity of glutamate-operated ion channels, abnormal modulation of glutamate receptors). In addition, as neuronal death subsequent to ischemia and other insults is likely to result from multifactorial processes that may be inter-related, inhibition of glutamate-mediated synaptic transmission may be neuroprotective by increasing the resistance of neurons to other deleterious mechanisms (e.g. inadequate energy supply) that are not directly related to glutamatergic transmission.

Effects of pharmacological inhibition of glutamate-uptake on ischaemia-induced glutamate efflux and anoxic depolarization latency.

It has been proposed that deficient glutamate uptake, by increasing the extracellular concentration of this excitatory neurotransmitter, may contribute to the pathophysiology of cerebral ischaemia. This study aimed to examine whether pharmacological inhibition of glutamate uptake altered the kinetics of ischaemia-induced glutamate efflux, and precipitated anoxic depolarisation. Microdialysis was used for application of the glutamate-uptake inhibitor L-trans-pyrrolidine-2,4-dicarboxylate (L-trans-PDC), recording of the EEG and extracellular direct current (DC) potential with an electrode within the probe, and continuous monitoring of changes in extracellular glutamate. L-trans-PDC was applied locally from 8 min prior to cardiac arrest to the end of the recording period. L-trans-PDC (2.5 mM) barely altered the time course of postmortem glutamate efflux in the cortex. Only the maximum rate of efflux during the first exocytotic phase, and the concentration reached at the end of this phase, appeared slightly increased. L-trans-PDC (5 mM) reduced significantly the delay between EEG silence and anoxic depolarization in the cerebral cortex (59.2 +/- 9.2 s vs. 79.7 +/- 11.5 s; n = 6), but not in the striatum and hippocampus. These effects contrast with the marked increase in dialysate glutamate that L-trans-PDC produces in all these three brain regions. Together, these data do not support the hypothesis that inhibition of glutamate uptake plays a critical role, early in cerebral ischaemia. However, a contribution of reversed glutamate uptake to the secondary Ca2+-independent phase of ischaemia-induced glutamate efflux cannot be ruled out.

Glutamate release inhibitors: a critical assessment of their action mechanism.

A number of important experimental data do not support the widespread hypothesis that Na(+)-channels block is cerebroprotective, essentially because it reduces presynaptic glutamate release: (i) the inhibition of exocytosis by these compounds is not specific to glutamate; (ii) aspartate efflux produced by various stimuli was also reduced, but aspartate cannot be released by exocytosis because it is not concentrated within presynaptic vesicles; and (iii) glutamate accumulated extracellularly during ischaemic or traumatic insult to the CNS is mainly of cytosolic origin. As an alternative, we propose that use-dependent Na(+)-channel blockers enhance the resistance of nerve cells to insults, primarily by decreasing their energy demand, and that reduced efflux of glutamate and other compounds is a consequence of attenuated cellular stress.

Neuroprotection--rationale for pharmacological modulation of Na(+)-channels.

The primary factor detrimental to neurons in neurological disorders associated with deficient oxygen supply or mitochondrial dysfunction is insufficient ATP production relative to their requirement. As a large part of the energy consumed by brain cells is used for maintenance of the Na+ gradient across the cellular membrane, reduction of energy demand by down-modulation of voltage-gated Na(+)-channels is a rational strategy for neuroprotection. In addition, preservation of the inward Na+ gradient may be beneficial because it is an essential driving force for vital ion exchanges and transport mechanisms such as Ca2+ homeostasis and neurotransmitter uptake.

Is high extracellular glutamate the key to excitotoxicity in traumatic brain injury?

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) increases extracellular levels of the excitatory amino acid glutamate and aspartate, and N-methyl-D aspartate (NMDA)-receptor antagonists protect against experimental TBI. These two findings have led to the prevalent hypothesis that excitatory amino acid efflux is a major contributor to the development of neuronal damage subsequent to traumatic injury. However, as with stroke, the hypothesis that high extracellular glutamate is the key to excitotoxicity in TBI conflicts with important data. For example, the initial increase in extracellular glutamate is cleared within 5 min after moderate TBI, whereas antagonists of glutamate receptors and the so- called presynaptic glutamate release inhibitors remain effective when administered 30 min after insult. In this article, we argue that the current concept of excitotoxicity in TBI, centered on high extracellular glutamate, does not withstand scientific scrutiny. As alternatives to explain the beneficial actions of glutamate antagonists in experimental TBI, we propose abnormalities of glutamatergic neurotransmission, such as deficient Mg2+ block of NMDA-receptor ionophore complexes, and phenomena such as spreading depression, which requires activation of glutamate receptors and is detrimental to neurons in damaged/vulnerable brain regions. Finally, we introduce the notion that beneficial effects of glutamate receptor antagonists in experimental models of neurological disorders do not necessarily imply the occurrence of excitotoxic processes. Indeed, glutamate-receptor blockade may be protective by reducing the energy demand required to counterbalance Na+ influx associated with glutamatergic synaptic transmission. In other words, glutamate receptor antagonists (and blockers of voltage-gated Na+-channels) may help nervous tissue to cope with increased permeability of the cellular membrane to ions and reduced efficacy of Na+ extrusion, and thus prevent the decay of transmembrane ionic concentrations gradients.

Effects of increased extracellular glutamate levels on the local field potential in the brain of anaesthetized rats.

1. It is generally considered that glutamate-mediated transmission can be altered from a physiological to neurotoxic action when extracellular glutamate levels become excessive subsequent to impaired uptake and/or excessive release. However, high extracellular glutamate does not consistently correlate with neuronal dysfunction and death in vivo. The purpose of this study was to examine in situ the local depolarizations, as indicated by negative shifts of the extracellular field (d.c.) potential, produced by local inhibition of high-affinity glutamate uptake, with or without co-application of exogenous glutamate, in three brain regions of anaesthetized rats. 2. Microdialysis probes incorporating an electrode were used to apply exogenous glutamate and/or its uptake inhibitor L-trans-pyrrolidine-2,4-dicarboxylate (L-trans-PDC), and to monitor the resulting changes in extracellular glutamate and d.c. potential at the sites of application within the cortex, striatum and hippocampus. 3. Perfusion of 1 to 10 mM L-trans-PDC markedly and concentration-dependently increased extracellular glutamate levels (by up to 1700% of basal level in the parietal cortex). Despite their large magnitude, glutamate changes were associated with minor negative shifts of the d.c. potential (< 2 mV), which were not suppressed by the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-channel blocker, dizocilpine (MK-801, 2 mg kg-1, i.v.), or the alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionic acid (AMPA)/ kainate-receptor antagonist, 6-nitro-7-sulphamoylbenzo(f)quinoxaline-2,3-dione (NBQX, 30 mg kg-1, i.p.). L-trans-PDC had virtually identical concentration-dependent effects on dialysate glutamate in the hippocampus and striatum, but those induced in the cortex were around 40% larger (P < 0.002). In contrast, the associated depolarizations were around twice as large in the striatum and cortex as in the hippocampus (P < 0.002). Finally, co-application of L-trans-PDC did not enhance the d.c. potential changes evoked by perfusion of 5 or 20 mM glutamate. 4. As the neurotoxic potency of glutamate agonists is considered to be linked to excessive opening of glutamate-operated ion channels, these results challenge the notion that high extracellular glutamate levels may be the key to excitotoxicity in neurological disorders. In particular, they do not support the hypothesis that high extracellular glutamate causes the sudden negative shifts of the d.c. potential associated with ischaemia (i.e. anoxic depolarization), traumatic brain injury and spreading depression. Impaired uptake and excessive release of glutamate may well lead to excitotoxicity, but only at the synaptic level, not by spreading through the interstitial fluid.

Effects of probenecid on the elicitation of spreading depression in the rat striatum.

Spreading depression (SD) is a wave of cellular depolarization which contributes to neuronal damage in experimental focal ischaemia, and may also underlie the migraine aura. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of probenecid, an inhibitor of organic anion transport, on K+-evoked SD in vivo. Microdialysis electrodes were implanted in the rat striatum, and recurrent SD elicited by perfusion of artificial cerebrospinal fluid containing 160 mM K+ for 20 min. Probenecid was administered either directly through the microdialysis probe, starting 50 min before application of high K+, or intravenously. SD was markedly reduced by perfusion of 5 mM probenecid through the microdialysis probe. In contrast, a high intravenous dose of probenecid (250 mg/kg) only slightly inhibited SD elicitation 90 min after treatment, despite clear changes in the amplitude and spectrum of the electroencephalogram, as early as 10 min after drug administration, confirming that probenecid readily penetrated the central nervous system. As SD is inhibited by hypercapnia, we have examined the possibility that probenecid may inhibit SD through extracellular acidification subsequent to blockade of lactate transport. Perfusion of 1-20 mM probenecid increased dose-dependently the dialysate levels of lactate, but without extracellular acidosis since the dialysate pH was not significantly reduced. How probenecid inhibits SD deserves further investigation because it may help identify novel strategies to suppress this phenomenon, now recognized deleterious to neuronal function and survival.

Altered glutamatergic transmission in neurological disorders: from high extracellular glutamate to excessive synaptic efficacy.

This review is a critical appraisal of the widespread assumption that high extracellular glutamate, resulting from enhanced pre-synaptic release superimposed on deficient uptake and/or cytosolic efflux, is the key to excessive glutamate-mediated excitation in neurological disorders. Indeed, high extracellular glutamate levels do not consistently correlate with, nor necessarily produce, neuronal dysfunction and death in vivo. Furthermore, we exemplify with spreading depression that the sensitivity of an experimental or pathological event to glutamate receptor antagonists does not imply involvement of high extracellular glutamate levels in the genesis of this event. We propose an extension to the current, oversimplified concept of excitotoxicity associated with neurological disorders, to include alternative abnormalities of glutamatergic transmission which may contribute to the pathology, and lead to excitotoxic injury. These may include the following: (i) increased density of glutamate receptors; (ii) altered ionic selectivity of ionotropic glutamate receptors; (iii) abnormalities in their sensitivity and modulation; (iv) enhancement of glutamate-mediated synaptic efficacy (i.e. a pathological form of long-term potentiation); (v) phenomena such as spreading depression which require activation of glutamate receptors and can be detrimental to the survival of neurons. Such an extension would take into account the diversity of glutamate-receptor-mediated processes, match the complexity of neurological disorders pathogenesis and pathophysiology, and ultimately provide a more elaborate scientific basis for the development of innovative treatments.

High extracellular glycine does not potentiate N-methyl-D-aspartate-evoked depolarization in vivo.

As N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDA) ionophore complexes have a distinct positive, allosteric regulatory site for glycine, it has been proposed that elevated extracellular glycine during or after cerebral ischaemia may induce excessive NMDA/glutamate receptor activation and, thereby, excitotoxicity. To test this hypothesis, we have perfused increasing concentrations of glycine, either alone or with co-application of NMDA, through a microdialysis probe implanted in the striatum of halothane anaesthetized rats. Changes in the extracellular field (DC) potential indicative of depolarization were recorded precisely at the site of drug application by an electrode incorporated within dialysis fibre. Microdialysis application of up to 1 mM of glycine had no effect on the basal DC potential. Above 10 mM, glycine produced concentration-dependent depolarizations, but the amplitude of these responses remained very small (e.g. 0.52 +/- 0.05 mV for 100 mM glycine, n = 10, i.e. around 30-fold smaller than that of a wave of spreading depression). Application of 200 microM NMDA via the microdialysis probe produced consistent short-lasting depolarizations (around 2.5 mV amplitude), but these were not potentiated by co-application of up to 100 mM glycine. These data do not support the view that increased extracellular concentrations of glycine, such as those observed in ischaemia, may be potentially excitotoxic. Nevertheless, as occupation of the glycine site coupled to the NMDA-receptor is required for NMDA/glutamate receptor activation, this site remains an attractive target for potential neuroprotective agents.

Effect of acidotic challenges on local depolarizations evoked by N-methyl-D-aspartate in the rat striatum.

We have examined how various challenges to brain acid-base homeostasis, resulting in extracellular acidosis, alter N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-evoked depolarizations in vivo. Repeated stimuli were produced by perfusion of 200 microM NMDA for 2 min through a microdialysis probe implanted into the striatum of halothane anesthetized rats. Hypercapnia reduced NMDA-evoked responses in a concentration-dependent manner, with 7.5 and 15 % CO2 in the breathing mixture reducing the depolarization amplitude to 74 % and 64 % of that of the initial stimuli, respectively. Application of 50 mM NH4+ progressively reduced dialysate pH, and a further acidification was observed when NH4+ was discontinued. Perfusion of NMDA after NH4+ application evoked smaller depolarizations (56 % of the corresponding control, 5 min after NH4+ removal), and this effect persisted for over 1 h. Perfusion of acidic ACSF did not alter the amplitude of NMDA-evoked depolarization, despite changes in dialysate pH confirming that exchange/buffering of acid equivalents took place between the perfusion medium and the surrounding tissue. This negative result probably reflected the remarkable capacity of the brain to buffer H+. Together, these results demonstrate that extracellular acidosis, such as that associated with excessive neuronal activation or ischemia, inhibits NMDA-evoked responses in vivo.

Effect of probenecid on depolarizations evoked by N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) in the rat striatum.

Kynurenic acid is an endogenous, competitive antagonist of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor glycine site. Accordingly, increasing the brain extracellular concentration of this metabolite may be a suitable alternative to administration of exogenous NMDA antagonists for the treatment of neurological disorders involving excessive NMDA-receptor activation. As competitive inhibition of organic anion transport by probenecid increased brain extracellular levels of kynurenic acid, the purpose of this study was to examine whether intracerebral application of probenecid reduced depolarizations evoked at the same tissue site by NMDA. Microdialysis probes incorporating an electrode were implanted into the striatum of rats and perfused with artificial cerebrospinal fluid. Local depolarizations were produced by perfusing 200 microM NMDA for 2 min, either alone, or co-applied with 1, 5 or 20 mM probenecid. The lowest concentration of probenecid had no effect. At 5 mM, probenecid abolished the hyperpolarization which consistently followed NMDA-responses, but the slight decrease in depolarization amplitude did not reach significance. Inhibition of post-depolarization hyperpolarization suggests that sustained, high extracellular concentrations of probenecid reduce the capacity of the tissue to recover from a depolarizing stimulus, presumably because intensive transport of probenecid imposes a heavy load on Na+, K(+)-ATPase. At 20 mM, probenecid inhibited NMDA-evoked depolarization by approximately 60% (from 4.7 +/- 0.7 mV to 2.1 +/- 0.2 mV; n = 6, P < 0.005). This effect was more marked 30 min after returning to perfusion with normal artificial cerebrospinal fluid, suggesting that high concentrations of probenecid may be toxic to nerve cells, or initiate long-lasting effects linked to inhibition of the transport of important organic anions. These data suggest that inhibition of organic anion transport is not, by itself, sufficient to protect against neurological disorders involving excessive NMDA-receptor activation. However, results from other studies suggest that it may be a valid strategy for enhancing the neuroprotective actions of treatments which stimulate kynurenic acid synthesis, or those of exogenous glutamate receptor antagonists.

Evidence against high extracellular glutamate promoting the elicitation of spreading depression by potassium.

This study ascertains whether high extracellular glutamate contributes to the initiation of spreading depression (SD) by K+. Two microdialysis probes, each incorporating an electrode to record the extracellular direct current (DC) potential at the elicitation site, were implanted symmetrically in the cortex of anesthetized rats. Recurrent SD was triggered by perfusion of 130 mM K+ through the microdialysis probe for 20 min. On one side, this medium was supplemented with increasing concentrations of glutamate (0.1-1 mM) or of the selective glutamate uptake inhibitor 1-trans-pyrrolidine-2,4-dicarboxylate (L-trans-PDC: 1-10 mM). The effects of L-trans-PDC on extracellular glutamate and basal DC potential were studied in separate experiments. Application of K+ for 20 min consistently elicited five to seven waves of SD. Increasing the concentration of glutamate in the perfusion medium did not alter SD elicitation. Application of L-trans-PDC concentration dependently increased the dialysate levels of glutamate (by approximately 19-fold with 10 mM L-trans-PDC) but, unexpectedly, reduced SD elicitation. These data do not support the hypothesis that SD is elicited because high extracellular glutamate resulting from exocytosis and/or reversal of glutamate uptake depolarizes adjacent neurons. As SD elicitation requires activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, these results also illustrate that sensitivity of a pathological or experimental event to NMDA receptor antagonists does not necessarily imply involvement of increased extracellular glutamate. This does not rule out a selective action of glutamate, transiently released from presynaptic vesicles, on immediately juxtaposed postsynaptic receptors.

Evidence disputing the link between seizure activity and high extracellular glutamate.

As seizures in experimental models can be induced by the activation and suppressed by the inhibition of glutamate receptors, it is often proposed that a high extracellular glutamate level subsequent to excessive presynaptic release and/or altered glutamate uptake is epileptogenic. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the link between seizure activity and high extracellular glutamate. To assist the detection of any putative rise in extracellular glutamate during seizures, microdialysis was coupled to enzyme-amperometric detection of glutamate, which provides maximal sensitivity and time resolution. Electrical activity and field potential were also recorded through the dialysis membrane to confirm that epileptic activity was present at the sampling site. No increase in dialysate glutamate content was detected during picrotoxin-induced seizures, even when the K+ concentration in the perfusion medium was raised to 50% above that measured previously during paroxysmal activity. In addition, sustained inhibition of glutamate uptake by L-trans-pyrrolidine-2,4-dicarboxylate increased the extracellular glutamate level > 20-fold but did not produce electrophysiological changes indicative of excessive excitation. These findings indicate that seizures are not necessarily accompanied by an increased extracellular glutamate level and that increased glutamatergic excitation in epilepsy may result from other abnormalities such as increased density of glutamate receptors, enhanced activation subsequent to reduced modulation, or sprouting of glutamatergic synapses.

From rodent glial precursor cell to human glial neoplasia in the oligodendrocyte-type-2 astrocyte lineage.

With only a few exceptions, the precursor cells representing the normal counterparts of human tumours are unknown. The comparative lack of information about the lineages involved in tissue development, and difficulties in growing many human tumors in a manner suitable for cellular biological analysis, together often make it difficult to study the differences between normal and tumor cells and to develop many of the model systems that would be useful in the study of human cancer. By applying techniques previously utilized to study glial progenitor cells, we have isolated a human glioblastoma multiforme (GBM)-derived population that expresses many properties otherwise uniquely expressed by oligodendrocyte-type-2 astrocyte (O-2A) progenitor cells. Hu-O-2A/Gb1 (for Human O-2A lineage Glioblastoma number 1) cells responded to similar mitogens and differentiation modulators as rodent O-2A progenitors, and generated cells with features of precursor cells, oligodendrocytes and astrocytes. Moreover, 1H-NMR analysis of amino acid composition demonstrated a striking conversation of types and quantities of free amino acids between the human tumour cells and the rodent primary cells. Hu-O-2A/Gb1 cells represent the first human glioma-derived population for which unambiguous lineage assignment has been possible, and our results indicate that the human O-2A lineage can contribute to one of the most malignant of glial tumours. In addition, the highly diagnostic 1H-NMR spectrum expressed by Hu-O-2A/Gb1 cells raises the possibility of eventual non-invasive identification of tumors of this lineage.