Abstract
Kainic acid (KA) is a known potent neuroexcitotoxin, although the biochemical mechanism producing its underlying neurotoxic effect is not quite clear. Histopathological examination of gerbil brains 24 h after systemic injection of KA revealed severe neuronal lesions in different regions of the brain,expecially the cerebellar and hippocampal areas. We have detected free radical formation in the brain 1 h after KA administration by using an in vivo spin trapping technique. We have also observed increased lipid peroxidation in the brain after KA-treatment by analyzing thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and conjugated diene formation. Diminished brain specific (Na+, K+)-ATPase activity was also found 2 h after KA injection and persisted to 24 h. It is possible that the free radical reaction is a primary cause of neuronal degeneration after KA administration.
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An erratum to this article is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF03160079.
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Sun, A.Y., Cheng, Y., Bu, Q. et al. The biochemical mechanisms of the excitotoxicity of Kainic acid. Molecular and Chemical Neuropathology 17, 51–63 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03159981
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03159981