title: Arginine release from rat cerebellar astrocytes: autocrine roles for glutamate and nitric oxide?
abstract: In this study we have investigated the relationship between glutamate and arginine release from cultured cerebellar astrocytes. We found that the nitric oxide (NO) donor S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) promoted the release of both amino acids in a concentration-dependent manner, and that these responses were partially reversed by a guanylate cyclase inhibitor. Application of the non-NMDA glutamate receptor antagonist 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX) resulted in a 60% reduction in basal arginine release but no change in that of glutamate. This effect was not overcome by the subsequent addition of SNAP despite a two-fold increase in glutamate release. Incubation with the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) elicited 40 and 60% reductions in the basal release of glutamate and arginine, respectively. Basal release of both amino acids was restored by the addition of SNAP. We conclude that glutamate released from cerebellar astrocytes in response to increased levels of extracellular NO acts in an autocrine manner to promote arginine release via the activation of non-NMDA receptors. In addition, our data suggest that basal glutamate release is regulated to some extent by tonic NO synthesis in these cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, The School of Pharmacy, 29/39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK.
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Segieth
authors.forename: Leslie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fowler
authors.forename: Peter S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Whitton
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pearce
mesh_terms: D018750:6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000378:metabolism*; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000502:physiology*; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors / Q000494:pharmacology; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; D051381:Rats; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D026423:S-Nitroso-N-Acetylpenicillamine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D018750:6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione; D026423:S-Nitroso-N-Acetylpenicillamine; D001120:Arginine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; C496322:Nos1 protein, rat; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester