The amnesic shellfish poison domoic acid enhances neurotoxicity by excitatory amino acids in cultured neurons

Autor: J Kispert, Angeles Torreblanca, V. Zitko, Santiago Gascón, M. T. Fernández-Sánchez, Antonello Novelli
Rok vydání: 1992
Předmět:
Zdroj: Amino Acids. 2:233-244
ISSN: 1438-2199
0939-4451
Popis: A recent episode of human intoxication by cultured mussels containing a rare excitatory amino acid named domoic acid, received particular attention for its neurological implications. The intoxication produced neurological problems, such as headache, confusion, and loss of memory, particularly severe at times. Neuronal damage was found in the hippocampus and amygdala of four patients. We now report that in neuronal cultures the neurotoxicity of a domoic acid-containing mussel extract is the result of domoic acid potentiation of the excitotoxic effect of glutamic acid and aspartic acid present in high amounts in mussel tissue. Moreover, we show that subtoxic concentrations of domoic acid are sufficient to potentiate glutamic acid and aspartic acid neurotoxicity. We present evidence suggesting that the neurotoxic synergism may be due to a reduction of Mg(+ +) block at the NMDA receptor-associated channel, following activation of NON-NMDA receptors by domoic acid.
Databáze: OpenAIRE