title: Critical Evaluation of the Changes in Glutamine Synthetase Activity in Models of Cerebral Stroke.
abstract: The following article addresses some seemingly paradoxical observations concerning cerebral glutamine synthetase in ischemia-reperfusion injury. In the brain, this enzyme is predominantly found in astrocytes and catalyzes part of the glutamine-glutamate cycle. Glutamine synthetase is also thought to be especially sensitive to inactivation by the oxygen- and nitrogen-centered radicals generated during strokes. Despite this apparent sensitivity, glutamine synthetase specific activity is elevated in the affected tissues during reperfusion. Given the central role of the glutamine-glutamate cycle in the brain, we sought to resolve these conflicting observations with the view of providing an alternative perspective for therapeutic intervention in stroke.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, 10595, USA. tomjeitner@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Jeitner
authors.affiliation: Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL, 60439, USA.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Battaile
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, 10595, USA.
authors.forename: Arthur J L
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Cooper
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005974:Glutamate-Ammonia Ligase / Q000378:metabolism*; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D005973:Glutamine / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000201:enzymology; D020521:Stroke / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D005973:Glutamine; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D005974:Glutamate-Ammonia Ligase
keywords: Brain; Glutamine synthetase; Ischemia–reperfusion; Oxidative stress; Stroke