title: Chronic exposure to aluminium impairs the glutamate-nitric oxide-cyclic GMP pathway in the rat in vivo.
abstract: Aluminium is neurotoxic and is considered a possible etiologic factor in Alzheimer's disease, dialysis syndrome and other neurological disorders. The molecular mechanism of aluminium-induced impairment of neurological functions remains unclear. We showed that aluminium impairs the glutamate-nitric oxide-cGMP pathway in cultured neurons. The aim of this work was to assess by in vivo brain microdialysis whether chronic administration of aluminium in the drinking water (2.5% aluminium sulfate) also impairs the glutamate-nitric oxide-cGMP pathway in the cerebellum of rats in vivo. Chronic exposure to aluminium reduced NMDA-induced increase of extracellular cGMP by ca 50%. The increase in extracellular cGMP induced by the nitric oxide generating agent S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine was higher (240%) in rats treated with aluminium than in controls. Immunoblotting experiments showed that aluminium reduced the cerebellar content of calmodulin and nitric oxide synthase by 34 and 15%, respectively. Basal activity of soluble guanylate cyclase was decreased by 66% in aluminium-treated rats, while the activity after stimulation with S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine was similar to controls. Basal cGMP in the cerebellar extracellular space was decreased by 50% in aluminium-treated rats. These results indicate that chronic exposure to aluminium reduces the basal activity of guanylate cyclase and impairs the glutamate-nitric oxide-cGMP pathway in the animal in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Citologicas, Fundación Valenciana de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hermenegildo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sáez
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Minoia
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Manzo
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Felipo
mesh_terms: D000535:Aluminum / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002147:Calmodulin / Q000378:metabolism; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000378:metabolism*; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D006162:Guanylate Cyclase / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000494:pharmacology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors / Q000494:pharmacology; D010396:Penicillamine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000187:drug effects; D026423:S-Nitroso-N-Acetylpenicillamine; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D002147:Calmodulin; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D026423:S-Nitroso-N-Acetylpenicillamine; D000535:Aluminum; D006162:Guanylate Cyclase; D010396:Penicillamine; D006152:Cyclic GMP