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Isolation of astrocytes, neurons, and synaptosomes of rat brain cortex

Distribution of enzymes of Glutamate Metabolism

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Abstract

A simplified method was developed for the bulk separation of neuronal perikarya and astroglial celis from adult rat brain without the involvement of density gradients. Activities of various enzymes involved in glutamate metabolism were estimated and compared with those of synaptosomes. The activities of glutamate dehydrogenase and aspartate aminotransferase were higher in synaptosomes than in neuronal perikarya or glia. Glutamine synthetase was distributed in all the three fractions while glutaminase activity was higher in astrocytes than in synaptosomes and was not detectable in neuronal perikarya. The significance of these results in relation to metabolic compartmentation was discussed.

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  1. School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, 500 134, Hyderabad, India

    G. Y. C. V. Subbalakshmi & Ch. R. K. Murthy

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  1. G. Y. C. V. Subbalakshmi
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Subbalakshmi, G.Y.C.V., Murthy, C.R.K. Isolation of astrocytes, neurons, and synaptosomes of rat brain cortex. Neurochem Res 10, 239–250 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00964570

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