Rationale Glutamate plays a key role in the pathophysiology of stroke¹ and glutamate levels in the brain are regulated by both plasma and vesicular glutamate transporters.² Increasing evidence suggests that vesicular glutamate transporters are involved in cerebral ischemia. However the results showed inconsistent results so far. The main aim of this study was to examine the changes in vesicular glutamate transporters (VGluT1 and 2) in a mouse model of cerebral ischemia.

Methodology Cerebral ischemia in mice was induced by bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO) under anaesthesia and appropriate UK Home Office licence (Scientific Procedures) Act (1986). Following 3-7 days reperfusion the mice were either fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde or decapitated under appropriate anaesthesia. Fresh brains were rapidly frozen on dry ice and stored at −80°C for Western blotting and fixed brains were sectioned (50 μm) on a vibratome and processed for immunohistochemistry using specific antibodies to glutamate transporters.

Results Both immunohistochemistry and Western blotting showed consistent reduction of VGluT-1 and VGluT-2 in BCCAO animals as compared to sham animals

Conclusion The present study showed that VGLUT 1 and 2 may play an important role in cerebral ischemia.

References

1. Castillo J, Alvarez-Sabin J, Davalos A, et al. Neurologia, 2003;18:368–84

2. Krzyżanowska W, Pomierny B, Filip M, et al. 2014;35:444–62