Research article

Response of regional brain glutamate transaminases of rat to aluminum in protein malnutrition

Prasunpriya Nayak¹ and Ajay K Chatterjee²

¹  Department of Physiology, Sikkim Manipal Institute of Medical Sciences, 5^th Mile, Tadong, Gangtok 737 102, Sikkim, India

²  Department of Physiology, University of Calcutta, 92 APC Road, Kolkata 700 009, India

author email corresponding author email

BMC Neuroscience 2002, 3:12doi:10.1186/1471-2202-3-12

Published:	28 August 2002

Abstract

Background

The mechanism of aluminum-induced neurotoxicity is not clear. The involvement of glutamate in the aluminium-induced neurocomplications has been suggested. Brain glutamate levels also found to be altered in protein malnutrition. Alterations in glutamate levels as well as glutamate-α-decarboxylase in different regions of rat brain has been reported in response to aluminum exposure. Thus the study of glutamate metabolising enzymes in different brain regions of rats maintained on either normal or restricted protein diet may be of importance for understanding the neurotoxicity properties of aluminium.

Results

Dietary protein restrictions does not have an significant impact on regional aluminum content of the brain. The interaction of aluminum intoxication and protein restriction is significant in the thalamic area and the midbrain-hippocampal region in cases of glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase. In the case of gluatmate pyruvate transaminase, this interaction is significant only in thalamic area.

Conclusion

The metabolism of amino acids, as indicated by activities of specific transaminases, of brain is altered in response to aluminum exposure. These alterations are region specific and are dependent on dietary protein intake or manipulation of the brain amino acid homeostasis.