title: Excitotoxic increase of xanthine dehydrogenase and xanthine oxidase in the rat olfactory cortex.
abstract: Excitotoxic lesions induced by systemic injection of kainic acid, resulted in 2-3-fold increase of xanthine dehydrogenase and xanthine oxidase activities in the rat olfactory cortex 48-72 h after drug administration. A significant increase of the xanthine oxidase/dehydrogenase ratio was also observed at 4 and 48 h post-injection. No similar changes were noticed in the hippocampus. The enhancement of enzyme activity seems to be primarily a consequence of the altered cell composition in damaged area. Free radicals produced by the increased oxygen-dependent form of the enzyme could in turn aggravate the excitotoxic brain injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Pathology, University of Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Battelli
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Buonamici
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abbondanza
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Virgili
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Contestabile
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Stirpe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D007608:Kainic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009833:Olfactory Pathways / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014968:Xanthine Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism*; D014969:Xanthine Oxidase / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D009498:Neurotoxins; D014968:Xanthine Dehydrogenase; D014969:Xanthine Oxidase; D007608:Kainic Acid