Differential expression of glutamate transporters in cerebral cortex of paraoxon-treated rats

•Increased both glial glutamate transporters by 0.7 mg/kg of paraoxon.•Decreased neuronal and both glial glutamate transporters by 1 mg/kg of paraoxon.•Upregulation of Bax and downregulation of Bcl2 mRNA levels by 1 mg/kg of paraoxon.

Glutamatergic system is involved in pathological effects of organophosphorus (OP) compounds. We aimed to determine in vivo effects of paraoxon, the bioactive metabolite of parathion, on the expression of glutamate transporters as well as Bax and Bcl2 in rat cerebral cortex. Male Wistar rats received an intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of one of three doses of paraoxon (0.3, 0.7, or 1 mg/kg) or corn oil as vehicle (1 ml/kg). After 4 or 18 h, cerebral cortices were dissected out and used for quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot assays to measure mRNA and protein levels, respectively. The cortical glial glutamate transporters (GLAST and GLT-1) were up-regulated in animals treated with 0.7 mg/kg of paraoxon, but down-regulated in 1 mg/kg group. Neuronal glutamate transporter (EAAC1) was unchanged in 0.7 mg/kg treated rats, while reduced in 1 mg/kg group. No significant difference was found in the mRNA and protein expression of EAAC1 in animals intoxicated with 0.3 mg/kg of paraoxon. Paraoxon (1 mg/kg) resulted in an up-regulation of Bax and down-regulation of Bcl2 mRNA levels in the rat cerebral cortex. These results indicate that paraoxon can differentially regulate expression of glutamate transporters at mRNA and protein levels in the cerebral cortex. Changes in the expression of glutamate transporters are closely related to paraoxon-induced seizure activity.