title: GABA and glycine are protective to mature but toxic to immature rat cortical neurons under hypoxia.
abstract: Although recent studies suggest that gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glycine may be 'inhibitory' to mature neurons, but 'excitatory' to immature neurons under normoxia, it is unknown whether inhibitory neurotransmitters are differentially involved in neuronal response to hypoxia in immature and mature neurons. In the present study, we exposed rat cortical neurons to hypoxia (1% O2) and examined the effects of three major inhibitory neurotransmitters (GABA, glycine and taurine) on the hypoxic neurons at different neuronal ages [days in vitro (DIV)4-20]. Our data showed that the cortical neurons expressed both GABA(A) and glycine receptors with differential developmental profiles. GABA (10-2000 microm) was neuroprotective to hypoxic neurons of DIV20, but enhanced hypoxic injury in neurons of <DIV20. Glycine at low concentrations (10-100 microm) exhibited a similar pattern to GABA. However, higher concentrations of glycine (1000-2000 microm) for long-term exposure (48-72 h) displayed neuroprotection at all ages (DIV4-20). Taurine (10-2000 microm), unlike GABA and glycine, displayed protection only in DIV4 neurons, and was slightly toxic to neurons>DIV4. In comparison with delta-opioid receptor (DOR)-induced protection in DIV20 neurons exposed to 72 h of hypoxia, glycine-induced protection was weaker than that of DOR but stronger than that of GABA and taurine. These data suggest that the effects of the inhibitory neurotransmitters on hypoxic cortical neurons are age-dependent, with GABA and glycine being neurotoxic to immature neurons and neuroprotective to mature neurons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, LMP 3107, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000379:methods; D002452:Cell Count / Q000379:methods; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects*; D015687:Cell Hypoxia / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D016308:Enkephalin, Leucine-2-Alanine / Q000494:pharmacology; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects; D005998:Glycine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000378:metabolism; D018009:Receptors, Glycine / Q000378:metabolism; D012016:Reference Values; D013654:Taurine / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D018009:Receptors, Glycine; D013654:Taurine; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D016308:Enkephalin, Leucine-2-Alanine; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D005998:Glycine