Critical Evaluation of the Changes in Glutamine Synthetase Activity in Models of Cerebral Stroke

The following article addresses some seemingly paradoxical observations concerning cerebral glutamine synthetase in ischemia-reperfusion injury. In the brain, this enzyme is predominantly found in astrocytes and catalyzes part of the glutamine-glutamate cycle. Glutamine synthetase is also thought to be especially sensitive to inactivation by the oxygen- and nitrogen-centered radicals generated during strokes. Despite this apparent sensitivity, glutamine synthetase specific activity is elevated in the affected tissues during reperfusion. Given the central role of the glutamine-glutamate cycle in the brain, we sought to resolve these conflicting observations with the view of providing an alternative perspective for therapeutic intervention in stroke.