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Mechanisms of aluminium neurotoxicity in oxidative stress-induced ...

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Excitotoxicity<br />

INTRODUCTION<br />

Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter <strong>in</strong> the CNS, but it can be<br />

toxic to cells. Excitotoxicity is a pathological process that may occur as a consequence<br />

<strong>of</strong> an excessive stimulation <strong>of</strong> the glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)<br />

and other receptors associated with glutamatergic signall<strong>in</strong>g, such as metabotropic<br />

glutamate receptors (mGLURs), calcium channels and other G-prote<strong>in</strong> coupled<br />

receptors (GPCR), and the subsequent massive <strong>in</strong>flux <strong>of</strong> extracellular calcium. This<br />

toxic and pathological <strong>in</strong>crease <strong>in</strong> cytoplasmic calcium activates a number <strong>of</strong> calcium-<br />

dependent enzymes <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> the catabolism <strong>of</strong> prote<strong>in</strong>s, phospholipids and nucleic<br />

acids, and <strong>in</strong> the synthesis <strong>of</strong> NO lead<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> turn to mitochondrial damage, formation <strong>of</strong><br />

oxidiz<strong>in</strong>g species, and downstream activation <strong>of</strong> cell death pathways.<br />

There is some evidence implicat<strong>in</strong>g excitotoxicity as one contribut<strong>in</strong>g<br />

mechanism to the pathogenesis <strong>in</strong> PD. As the SN receives rich glutamatergic <strong>in</strong>puts<br />

from neocortex and the STN, the demise <strong>of</strong> nigrostriatal DA <strong>in</strong> PD leads to dis<strong>in</strong>hibition<br />

<strong>of</strong> striatal neurons, and consequently to disruption <strong>of</strong> the neurotransmitter balance <strong>in</strong><br />

striatum result<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> glutamatergic overactivity, whereas under physiological conditions<br />

there is equilibrium between the activation <strong>of</strong> striatal neurons through NMDAR and<br />

<strong>in</strong>hibition by the D2 receptors. It was hypothesized that weak excitotoxicity may happen<br />

secondary to a mitochondrial defect with decreased ATP formation lead<strong>in</strong>g to an ATP<br />

dependent magnesium-blockade <strong>of</strong> the NMDAR or to dis<strong>in</strong>hibition <strong>of</strong> glutamatergic<br />

STN neurons result<strong>in</strong>g from DA depletion (Beal 1998, Rodriguez et al. 1998).<br />

Furthermore, NMDAR antagonists were shown to provide protection aga<strong>in</strong>st MPP + -<br />

<strong>in</strong>duced <strong>neurotoxicity</strong> and obta<strong>in</strong> antipark<strong>in</strong>sonian like activity <strong>in</strong> animal models<br />

(Turski et al. 1991, Uitti et al. 1996, Schmidt and Kretschmer 1997) whereas<br />

compounds that enhance NMDAR function worsens park<strong>in</strong>sonian symptoms (Giuffra et<br />

al. 1993). In addition, NO has been associated with NMDAR excitotoxicity. Dur<strong>in</strong>g<br />

over-activation <strong>of</strong> the NDMAR, nNOS is recruited to the glutamate receptor by a<br />

postsynaptic density prote<strong>in</strong> called PSD-95 and synthesizes then NO which can react<br />

with other ROS to form the highly toxic ONOO ●─ (Sattler et al. 1999, Aarts et al. 2002).<br />

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