Role of NMDA receptor upon [14C]acetate uptake into intact rat brain

Objective To clarify the role of N -methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptors upon [ 14 C]acetate uptake in the rodent central nervous system (CNS), ibotenic acid (IBO) was infused into the right striatum of the rat brain. Methods Autoradiograms of [ 14 C]acetate uptake in the brain for 2 h following the infusion of IBO (10 μg/μl) were obtained in both non-treated and MK-801 (1 mg/kg, i.v.) pretreated rats. The effect of MK-801 on [ 14 C]acetate uptake in the normal rat brain was also studied. Results Infusion of IBO significantly decreased [ 14 C]acetate uptake in the infused side of the striatum. The expression of monocarboxylate transporter-1 was not altered, suggesting that the activity of tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle in glial cells might be depressed. Pretreatment with MK-801 completely blocked the decreasing effect of IBO on [ 14 C]acetate uptake. MK-801 also increased [ 14 C]acetate uptake in the whole brain of normal rats. Conclusions These results indicate the important roles of NMDA receptors on [ 14 C]acetate uptake in the intact rat brain.