Hypo-osmotic swelling modifies glutamate-glutamine cycle in the cerebral cortex and in astrocyte cultures

Down-regulation of Kir4.1 in the cerebra

Down-regulation of Kir4.1 in the cerebral cortex of rats with liver failure and in cultured astrocytes treated with glutamine: Implications for astrocytic dysfunction in hepatic encephalopathy

✍ Marta Obara-Michlewska; Thomas Pannicke; Anett Karl; Andreas Bringmann; Andreas 📂 Article 📅 2011 🏛 John Wiley and Sons 🌐 English ⚖ 517 KB

## Abstract Brain edema in acute hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is due mainly to swelling of astrocytes. Efflux of potassium is implicated in the prevention of glial swelling under hypoosmotic conditions. We investigated whether pathogenic factors of HE, glutamine (Gln) and/or ammonia, induce alterati