Long-term changes in expressions of spinal glutamate transporters after spinal cord injury.

Abstract

Glutamate is a major excitatory transmitter in the central nervous system that may produce cellular injury when its concentration is abnormally increased in the synaptic cleft. Glial glutamate transporters GLAST and GLT-1, which are responsible for clearing synaptic glutamate into glial cells, play an important role in the regulation of the glutamate concentration in the synaptic cleft. However, there has been no report on long-term changes in the levels of glutamate transporters following spinal cord injury. Spinal cord injury (SCI) was induced at T12 by a New York University (NYU) impactor. Segments of the spinal cord at T9-10, L1-2, L4-5 and at the epicenter were removed after SCI, and Western blots for GLAST, GLT-1 and EAAC1 were performed. GLAST and GLT-1 were significantly decreased in the epicenter from 1day up to 8weeks after SCI. GLT-1 was significantly decreased in the spinal segments rostral to the injury site, and GLAST expression was significantly increased in the L4-5 region of the spinal cord for 8weeks. Because strategies to modulate the regulation of glutamate transporters may be applied, the present data serve as a reference for further research, although the long-term roles of glutamate transporters in pathological processes caused by SCI are not clear.

• Authors: Youngkyung Kim, Young-Keun Park, Hwi-Young Cho, Junesun Kim, Young Wook Yoon
• Journal: Brain research (Brain Res) Vol. 1389 Pg. 194-9 (May 10 2011) ISSN: 1872-6240 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 21439271 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Amino Acid Transport System X-AG

Topics

• Amino Acid Transport System X-AG (biosynthesis)
• Animals
• Blotting, Western
• Male
• Rats
• Rats, Sprague-Dawley
• Spinal Cord Injuries (metabolism)