title: Effects of unilateral vestibular ganglionectomy on glutaminase activity in the vestibular nerve root and vestibular nuclear complex of the rat.
abstract: The metabolism of glutamate, the most likely neurotransmitter of vestibular ganglion cells, includes synthesis from glutamine by the enzyme glutaminase. We used microdissection combined with a fluorometric assay to measure glutaminase activity in the vestibular nerve root and nuclei of rats with unilateral vestibular ganglionectomy. Glutaminase activity in the lesioned-side vestibular nerve root decreased by 62% at 4 days after ganglionectomy and remained at similar values through 30 days. No change occurred in the contralateral vestibular nerve root. Glutaminase activity changes in the vestibular nuclei were lesser in magnitude and more complex, including contralateral increases as well as ipsilateral decreases. At 4 days after ganglionectomy, glutaminase activity was 10-20% lower in individual lesioned-side nuclei compared with their contralateral counterparts. By 14 and 30 days after ganglionectomy, there were no statistically significant differences between the nuclei on the two sides. This transient asymmetry of glutaminase activities in the vestibular nuclei contrasts with the sustained asymmetry in the vestibular nerve root and suggests that intrinsic, commissural, or descending pathways are involved in the recovery of chemical symmetry. This recovery resembles our previous finding for glutamate concentrations in the vestibular nuclei and may partially underlie central vestibular compensation after peripheral lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical College of Ohio, Toledo 43614, USA. dgodfrey@mco.edu
authors.forename: Donald A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Godfrey
authors.forename: Jiansong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Matthew A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Godfrey
authors.forename: Hongyan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Allan M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Rubin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003714:Denervation; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005972:Glutaminase / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D014725:Vestibular Nerve / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000293:injuries / Q000503:physiopathology; D014726:Vestibular Nuclei / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*; D000160:Vestibulocochlear Nerve Diseases / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D018698:Glutamic Acid; D005972:Glutaminase