title: Glutamate uptake and Na,K-ATPase activity in rat astrocyte cultures exposed to ischemia.
abstract: In this study we demonstrate the stimulation of both glutamate uptake and Na,K-ATPase activity in rat astrocyte cultures in response to a sublethal ischemic insult in vitro. To measure sodium pump activity and glutamate uptake, 3H-glutamate and 86Rb were simultaneously added to the cultures in the presence or absence of 2 mM ouabain. Na,K-ATPase activity was defined as ouabain-sensitive 86Rb uptake. Cell death was assessed by exclusion of the vital dye, calcein-AM from cells. Concomitant transient increases (2-3 fold above control levels) in both Na,K-ATPase and glutamate transporter activities were observed in astrocytes after 2-4 hours of ischemia. By contrast, 24 hours of ischemia caused a profound loss of both activities which paralleled significant cell death. The addition of 5 mM glucose to the cells after 4 hours of ischemia prevented the loss of sodium pump activity and glutamate uptake, and rescued astrocytes from the lethal effects of 24 hours of ischemia.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biological Sciences, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Canada.
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Stanimirovic
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ball
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Durkin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016923:Cell Death / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000098:blood supply; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018698:Glutamic Acid; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase