Basic & clinical pharmacology & toxicology
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Basic Clin. Pharmacol. Toxicol. · Oct 2012
Changes in the neuronal glutamate transporter EAAT3 in rat brain after exposure to methamphetamine.
Methamphetamine (METH), an addictive psychostimulant, can induce glutamate release in several brain areas such as cerebral cortex, hippocampus and striatum. Excess glutamate is ordinarily removed from the synaptic cleft by glutamate transporters for maintaining homoeostasis. EAAT3, a subtype of glutamate transporter expressed mainly by neurons, is a major glutamate transporter in the hippocampus and cortex. ⋯ Our results of decreased EAAT3 in striatum and frontal cortex suggest deficits of cortico-striatal glutamatergic synapses after METH exposure. Increased EAAT3 expression in the hippocampus may be a compensatory response to possible deficits of glutamatergic neurotransmission induced by METH. Moreover, our findings provide further support for glutamatergic dysfunction with abnormalities involving a transporter important in the regulation of neuronal glutamate.