Neurotoxicity research
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Neurotoxicity research · May 2010
Glutamate carboxypeptidase inhibition reduces the severity of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neurotoxicity in rat.
Chemotherapy is the most common method to treat cancer. The use of certain antineoplastic drugs, however, is associated with the development of peripheral neuropathy that can be dose-limiting. Excitotoxic glutamate release, leading to excessive glutamatergic neurotransmission and activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, is associated with neuronal damage and death in several nervous system disorders. ⋯ In all cases, glutamate carboxypeptidase inhibition significantly improved the chemotherapy-induced nerve conduction velocity deficits. In addition, morphological and morphometrical alterations induced by cisplatin and bortezomib in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) were improved by glutamate carboxypeptidase inhibition. Our data support a novel approach for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.