Melatonin plays a protective role in quinolinic acid-induced neurotoxicity in the rat hippocampus.
The neuroprotective effect of melatonin against the quinolinic acid-induced degeneration of rat hippocampal neurons was investigated. Three groups of rats were given intrahippocampal injections of either; saline, quinolinic acid or i.p. injections of melatonin prior to and after being injected with quinolinic acid. On the fifth day after the intrahippocampal injections the brains were removed and the hippocampi either sectioned and stained for microscopic examination or used in glutamate receptor binding studies. The results show that melatonin protects hippocampal neurons from quinolinic acid-induced neurodegeneration and partially prevents the decrease in glutamate receptor numbers caused by quinolinic acid. Thus, melatonin has the potential to reduce hippocampal neuronal damage induced by neurotoxins such as quinolinic acid.
Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa.
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GS
Southgate
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S
Daya
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Potgieter
D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004347:Drug Interactions; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D017378:Quinolinic Acid / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
D000975:Antioxidants; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D017378:Quinolinic Acid; D008550:Melatonin