Rapid loss of glutamine synthetase from astrocytes in response to hypoxia: Implications for excitotoxicity

We have examined the brains of neonatal pigs that were rendered hypoxic. Glutamine sythetase (GS), a key enzyme in the detoxification of glutamate and ammonia, was rapidly lost from astrocytes in regions susceptable to damage, including the CA1 of hippocampus and various cortical regions.