Bicarbonate-sensitive cysteine induced elevation of extracellular aspartate and glutamate in rat hippocampus in vitro

• The effect of different concentrations of cysteine (0.125, 0.25, 0.5 and 1 mM) on the net efflux of endogenous amino acids was studied by the incubation of rat hippocampal slices. Addition of cysteine (1 mM) in bicarbonate containing low K+ medium (5 min) selectively increased the basal net efflux of glutamate and aspartate by 370% and 396%, respectively. High K+ media (50 mM) containing cysteine (1 mM) evoked the net efflux of glutamate and aspartate by 1 454% and 1 019%, respectively. The corresponding effects in control slices without cysteine were 669% and 404%, respectively. No changes were observed on the concentrations of GABA, glutamine and taurine. The cysteine oxidation products, cysteine sulfinate (0.5 μM) and cystine (0.25 mM) were without effects. The effect of cysteine (0.5 mM) was dramatically reduced in media with no added bicarbonate/CO2. Thus, cysteine in a bicarbonate-sensitive manner selectively increases the extracellular concentration of excitotoxic amino acids in adult rat brain in vitro, possibly by interfering with the carrier-mediated glutamate uptake/ release

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Neurovetenskaper (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Neurosciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

diacidic

carbon dioxide

uptake

carrier

cystine

cysteine sulfinate

Publication and Content Type

art (subject category)

ref (subject category)