title: Effect of latent iron deficiency on gaba and glutamate neuroreceptors in rat brain.
abstract: Eight weeks of latent iron deficiency in weaned female rats of Sprague Dawley strain maintained on experimental low-iron diet (18-20 mg/Kg) did not significantly change the gross body weight and tissue weights of brain and liver. Packed cell volume (PCV) and hemoglobin concentration remained unaltered. However, non-heme iron content in liver and brain decreased significantly (P<0.001). The activities of glutamate dehydrogenase, glutamic acid decarboxylase, and GABA-transaminase (GABA-T) in brain decreased by 15%, 11.4% and 25.7% respectively. However, this decrease was not statistically significant. Binding of(3)H Muscimol at pH 7.5 and 1 mg protein/assay increased by 143% (P<0.001) in synaptic vesicular membranes from iron-deficient rats as compared to the controls.(3)H glutamate binding to the synaptic vesicles was also carried out under similar condition. However, the L-glutamate binding was reduced by 63% in the vesicular membranes of iron deficient animals. These studies in dicate that iron plays an important functional role in both excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitter receptors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, 226014 Lucknow, India.
authors.forename: Rama Devi
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Mittal
authors.forename: Amita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pandey
authors.forename: Balraj
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mittal
authors.forename: Kailash Nath
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Agarwal
keywords: 3H glutamate; GABA/glutamate metabolism; Neurotransmitter receptors; Neurotransmitters; [3H] Muscimol; brain synaptic vesicles