Real time monitoring of biphasic glutamate release using dialysis electrode in rat acute brain ischemia

Glutamate has been proposed to play a critical role in acute ischemic pathophysiology in the brain. In this study, glutamate was monitored by the dialysis electrode technique, in which glutamate is oxidized by glutamate oxidase producing hydrogen peroxide which is then amperometrically detected on a platinum electrode set at +650 mV vs Ag/AgCl. A dialysis electrode, which consists of a microdialysis probe with a built-in platinum electrode, provides a continuous glutamate oxidase perfusion inside of the probe. Perfusion with this solution allows real-time monitoring of glutamate dynamics in the extracellular space during ischemia. This study was designed to collect detailed information on rapid changes in the extracellular glutamate concentration of the rat striatum and demonstrated two distinct phases of glutamate release during early severe brain ischemia.