title: Changes in extracellular amino acid neurotransmitters produced by focal cerebral ischemia.
abstract: Excitatory amino acids (EAAs) have been implicated in the pathophysiology of cellular injury after brain ischemia. Changes in extracellular levels of amino acids in rat cerebral cortex after permanent proximal middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion were examined using microdialysis. Significant increases were found in dialysate concentrations of glutamate, aspartate and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) from the ischemic cortex during the first 90 min after MCA occlusion compared to pre-ischemic concentrations and contralateral hemispheric controls. Total tissue levels of these amino acids in the infarcted hemisphere 90 min after onset of ischemia were not different from the contralateral hemisphere. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the release of EAAs may contribute to tissue damage in focal cerebral ischemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco.
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shiraishi
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Panter
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Faden
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D007839:Functional Laterality; D005971:Glutamates / Q000378:metabolism; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D005998:Glycine / Q000378:metabolism; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D005971:Glutamates; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D005998:Glycine