Glutamine triggers long-lasting increase in striatal network activity in vitro

Accumulation of ammonium and glutamine in blood and brain is a key factor in hepatic encephalopathy (HE) – a neuropsychiatric syndrome characterized by various cognitive and motor deficits. MRI imaging identified abnormalities notably in the basal ganglia of HE patients, including its major input station, the striatum. While neurotoxic effects of ammonia have been extensively studied, glutamine is primarily perceived as “detoxified” form of ammonia.