Arachidonic acid inhibits uptake of glutamate and glutamine but not of GABA in cultured cerebellar granule cells

Abstract

The effects of arachidonic acid (20:4) on the uptake of glutamate were studied in primary cultures of cerebellar granule cells and were compared to cortical neurons and astrocytes. At a dose of 0.005 mM, the glutamate uptake was significantly inhibited in cerebellar granule cells. This inhibition was dose and time dependent. The uptake of glutamate was equally sensitive to 20:4 in primary cell cultures of cortical neurons, whereas the uptake in astrocytes was much less sensitive to 20:4. Glutamine uptake was inhibited by 20:4 in cultured cerebellar granule cells and cerebral cortical astrocytes but was not affected in cerebral cortical neurons. Furthermore, the uptake of gamma-aminobutyric acid was not affected by 20:4 in cerebellar granule cells.