Journal
NEUROBIOLOGY OF DISEASE
Volume 21, Issue 1, Pages 154-164Publisher
ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE
DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2005.06.017
Keywords
multiple sclerosis; glutamate; oligodendrocytes; astrocytes; excitotoxicity
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Recent studies have shown that glutamate excitotoxicity may be a component in the etiology of multiple sclerosis (MS). Glutamate transporters determine the levels of extracellular glutamate and are essential to prevent excitotoxicity. We have analyzed here the expression of the glutamate transporters EAAT 1, EAAT2 and EAAT 3 in control and in MS optic nerve samples. We observed an overall increase in the level of the glutamate transporters EAAT1 and EAAT2 mRNA and protein. In turn, functional assays showed that glutamate uptake was also increased in MS samples. Furthermore, glutamate transporter increases were mimicked in rat optic nerves treated with excitotoxic levels of glutamate. Together, these results indicate that enhanced expression of glutamate transporters in MS constitutes a regulatory response of glial cells to toxic levels of glutamate in the CNS during inflammation and neurodegeneration. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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