Effects of rotenone on glutamate uptaking in primary cultured astrocytes

Objective To study the effects of rotenone on glutamate uptaking in primary cultured astrocytes.Methods The extracellular glutamate was detected by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC),the uptaking ability of glutamate was detected with isotope lebeling method and the mRNA and protein expression of glutamate transporter were detected using RTPCR and Western blot,respectively.Results It was showed that the extracellular rotenone level was obviously risen,shown the uptaking function of astrocyte to glutamate was decreased,Meanwhile,the expression of GLAST(glutamate/aspartate transporter)mRNA and protein also decreased significantly in 1.0 and 2.0 μmol/L rotenone exposed groups,but the expression of glutamate transporter-1(GLT-1)enhanced obviously.Conclusions It was suggested that rotenone might reduce the uptaking ability of astrocyte to glutamate,induce the extracellular level of Glu risen,the down-regulation of GLAST may be the main reason of elevated extracellular Glu level induced by rotenone,while the increased expression of GLT-1 might represent a self-protective mechanism by nerve cells for limiting the neurotoxicity by Glu.