Ammonia stimulates the release of taurine from cultured astrocytes.
The effect of ammonia on the release of the neuroactive amino acids taurine (TAU), gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and D-aspartate (D-ASP), an analog of L-glutamate (L-GLU), from cultured rat cortical astrocytes was studied. NH4Cl (1 and 5 mM) induced the release of TAU. TAU release was reduced when Na+ was removed, and was almost completely abolished when Cl- was omitted. In contrast, TAU basal release was enhanced upon removal of Na+ or Cl-. Ammonia inhibited the release of GABA and D-ASP. Ammonia-induced release of astroglial TAU may modify the neuronal excitability accompanying hyperammonemic conditions.
Albrecht
J
J
Department of Pathology, University of Miami School of Medicine, FL 33101.
Bender
A S
AS
Norenberg
M D
MD
D000643:Ammonium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007700:Kinetics; D051381:Rats; D013654:Taurine / Q000378:metabolism*; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism
D000643:Ammonium Chloride; D013654:Taurine; D001224:Aspartic Acid; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid