Abstract
Background/objectives: Glutamate mediated intracellular calcium accumulation and free radical generation are tought to be a major mechanism contributing to cell death in hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. For this reason, various glutamate receptor antagonists have been investigated for their therapeutic potential.
Aim: To assess whether L-carnitine, an antioxidant, is able to prevent glutamate- and kainic acid-induced neurotoxicity.
Methods: Glutamate (10–7 M) and one of its receptor agonists, kainic acid (10– 4 M) were administered to cerebellar granular cell cultures that prepared from 1-day-old newborn rats. The neuroprotective effect of L-carnitine was examined.
Results: L-carnitine at doses of 10– 6, 10–5, 10– 4, 10–3 M was applied to culture flasks. L-carnitine at doses of 10– 4 M and 10–3 M significantly blocked glutamate-induced neurotoxicity, with the most effective dose being 10– 4 M. L-carnitine also blocked kainic acid-induced neurotoxicity only at dose of 10– 4 M. 10– 4 M L-carnitine, the most effective dose in glutamate- and kainic acid- induced neurotoxicity, decreased glutamate-induced neuronal cell death from 36,14±2,95% to 17,59±2,25%; (p=0,000) and kainic-acid induced neuronal cell death from 21,4±0,41% to 13,4±1,38; (p=0,000).
Conclusions: The present study demonstrates that L-carnitine protects against glutamate- and kainic acid-induced neurotoxicity. This protective effect of L-carnitine may occur via its antioxidant activity because free radical generation is a common result in either glutamate- or kainic acid-induced neurotoxicity. L-carnitine merits further investigation as a treatment modality for perinatal brain injury.
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Tastekin, A., Geptiremen, A., Ors, R. et al. 201 L-Carnitine Protects Against Glutamate- and Kainic Acid-Induced Neurotoxicity in Cerebellar Granular Cell Culture of Rats. Pediatr Res 56, 498 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-200409000-00224
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-200409000-00224