Hippocampus glutamic acid

Interest in the PGs has recently reverted to their precursor arachidonic acid (AA), which seems to be able to act intracellulary as a second messenger, and also extra-cellularly. In this latter mode it may play a part in LTP. It is known that AA produces a long-lasting enhancement of synaptic transmission in the hippocampus that resembles LTP and in fact activation of NMDA receptors leads to the release of AA by phospholipase A2 (see Dumuis et al. 1988) and inhibition of this enzyme prevents the induction of LTP. AA has also been shown to block the uptake of glutamate (see Williams and Bliss 1989) which would potentiate its effects on NMDA receptors. This would not only prolong LTP but also cause neurotoxicity. 

Fig. 1. Occurrence of H3 receptors inhibiting release of acetylcholine, of amino acid and monoamine neurotransmitters in the mammalian CNS in vitro. The schematic drawing represents a midsagittal section of the human brain three areas with a more lateral position are shown by broken line (substantia nigra and part of the hippocampus and of the striatum). For each of the six regions of the CNS (subregions given in brackets), in which H3 heteroreceptors have been identified, the neurotransmitter(s) and the species are indicated. The superscripts refer to the numbers of the papers as listed under References. Own unpublished data suggest that an H3 receptor-mediated inhibition of noradrenaline release also occurs in the human cerebral cortex and hippocampus and in the guinea-pig cerebral cortex. Note that a presynaptic location has not been verified for each of the H3 heteroreceptors or has been even excluded (for details, see Table 1). Abbreviations ACh, acetylcholine DA, dopamine GABA, y-aminobutyric acid Glu, glutamate 5-HT, 5-hydroxytryptamine, serotonin NA, noradrenaline...

Ananth C., Dheen S. T., Gopalakrishnakone R, and Kaur C. (2003a). Distribution of NADPH-diaphorase and expression of nNOS, N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDARl) and non-NMDA glutamate receptor (GlutR2) genes in the neurons of the hippocampus after domoic acid-induced lesions in adult rats. Hippocampus 13 260-272. 

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