Brain neuronal glutamate

Status epilepticus occurs because the brain fails to stop an isolated seizure. The exact reason for this failure is unknown and probably involves many mechanisms. A seizure is likely to occur due to a mismatch of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters in the brain. The primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain is glutamate. Glutamate stimulates postsynaptic N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in the brain, causing an influx of calcium into the cells and depolarization of the neuron. Sustained depolarization may maintain SE and eventually cause neuronal injury and death.7 The primary... 

Most cells of the immune system are ordinarily kept apart from those of the nervous system by means of the blood-brain barrier. However, allergic encephalomyelitis, in which T cells attack the myelin sheath of brain neurons, can easily be induced in mice.506 A similar autoimmune process is thought to be involved in human multiple sclerosis (see Chapter 30, pp. 1769, 1808, and Fig. 30-9).507,508 High levels of circulating IgM are found in some demyelinating diseases of peripheral neurons.508 In Rasmussen s encephalitis, which causes brain inflammation and epilepsy, serum antibodies attack a glutamate receptor subunit GluR3.509... 

McGeer P. L., Eccles J. C., and McGeer E. G. (1987). Putative excitatory neurons Glutamate and aspartate. In McGeer P. L., Eccles J. C., and McGeer E. G. (eds.), Molecular Neurobiology of the Mammalian Brain. Plenum Press, New York. 

Yu M-F, Lin W-W, Li L-T, Yin H-S. Activation of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 is associated with effect of amphetamine on brain neurons. Synapse 2003 50 333-44. 

Generation of ROS during activation of glutamate receptors in brain neurons... 

In the literature dangerous for brain neurons effect of ROS was traditionally underestimated — one can believe that multi-step antioxidant system should provide reliable protection. Actually, antioxidants are able to remove toxic component of glutamate overloading and keep neurons viable. However, this point of view is under serious doubt because of both a multiple role of antioxidants in brain metabolism [1,38,52] and apparent absence of therapeutic effect of antioxidant protection [42]. 

Martin LJ, Blackstone CD, Huganir RL, Price DL. 1992. Cellular localization of a metabotropic glutamate receptor in rat brain. Neuron 9 259-270,... 

Velaz-Faircloth M, McGraw TS, Malandro MS, Fremeau RT, Kilberg MS, Anderson KJ (1996) Characterization and distribution of the neuronal glutamate transporter EAACl in rat brain. Am J Physiol 39 C67-C75. 

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