Aspartic and glutamic acids increase in the frontal cortex during prostaglandin E1 hyperthermia

Abstract

The aim of the present experiment was to evaluate the role played by aspartic acid and glutamic acid of frontal cerebral cortex during the hyperthermia induced by prostaglandin E1. Two groups of six Sprague Dawley male rats were anaesthetized with ethyl-urethane. The frontal cortical concentrations of aspartic and glutamic acids, the firing rate of the sympathetic nerves to the interscapular brown adipose tissue, the colonic and interscapular brown adipose tissue temperatures were monitored both before and after an intracerebroventricular injection of prostaglandin E1 (500 ng) or saline. Aspartic and glutamic acids were collected using a microdialysis probe placed in the frontal cortex. Concentrations of aspartic and glutamic acids were measured by high-pressure liquid chromatography with fluorescence detector. Prostaglandin E1 induced an increase in the concentrations of aspartic and glutamic acids, in the firing rate of sympathetic nerves and in the colonic and interscapular brown adipose tissue temperatures. The findings of the present experiment indicate that an intracerebroventricular injection of prostaglandin E1 causes release of aspartic and glutamic acids in the frontal cortex.