Glutamate neurotoxicity in rat retinal culture is protected in extracellular acidic environment

• Published in: Japanese Journal of Pharmacology 1997, Vol.73 (suppl.2), p.243-243
• Main Authors: Saitoh, Tomoya, Mishima, Hiromu K., Shoge, Keisuke, Ishihara, Kumatoshi, Sasa, Masashi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0021-5198; 1347-3506
• DOI: 10.1016/S0021-5198(19)45475-9

Acidosis reportedly protects cortical or hippocampal neurons against glutamate toxicity by suppressing N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor activation. Therefore, we examined whether or not acidosis protected rat cultured retinal neurons from glutamate-induced neuronal death. Primary retinal cultures obtained from neonatal Wistar rats and maintained for 5 to 14 days were used. Glutamate-induced neuronal death was inflicted by 10-min exposure to 1 mM glutamate followed by 24-h incubation in the culture medium. The viability of retinal neurons was evaluated by the double staining method using fluorescein diacetate and propidium iodide. The viability of retinal neurons at 24 h after 10-min exposure to glutamate was 59%, while that of controls (without glutamate exposure) was 89%. When the pH values of culture media were decreased to 6.0～7.0 (from 7.4), significant (p