ISSN:
1471-4159
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Abstract: Alzheimer’s amyloid β-protein (Aβ) has been reported to potentiate glutamate toxicity in neurons, but very little is known about interaction between Aβ and glutamate in astrocytes. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated the effects of Aβ and glutamate on morphology of astrocytes. Cultured rat cortical astrocytes exhibited polygonal morphology in the absence of stimulation and differentiated into process-bearing stellate cells following exposure to Aβ (20 μM). L-Glutamate (30-1,000 μM) had no effect on astrocyte morphology in the absence of stimulation but strongly suppressed Aβ-induced stellation. The suppressive effect of L-glutamate on Aβ-induced stellation was not mimicked by glutamate receptor agonists and not blocked by glutamate receptor antagonists. In contrast, the suppressive effect of L-glutamate was mimicked by D- and L-aspartate and transportable glutamate uptake inhibitors. These results suggest that Aβ-induced astrocyte stellation is suppressed by a mechanism related to glutamate transporters.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1471-4159.2000.0740280.x
