Effect of Memantine and Hespiridine on Monosodium Glutamate Induced Excitotoxicity in Rats

Background: Glutamate mediated excitotoxicity is proved to be involved in neurodegenerative diseases like ischemia, trauma, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, seizures. Development of specific glutamate antagonists favors a better treatment opportunity of these neurodegenerative diseases. Hesperidin, a proven antioxidant and memantine a known NMDA antagonist were selected and evaluated for their neuroprotective property against monosodium glutamate induced excitotoxicity model both in vitro and in vivo. Materials and methods: Monosodium glutamate commonly known as Ajinomoto which is used as flavoring agent was exposed to chick retina (In vitro model) and subcutaneously administered to rats (In vivo model). Various biochemical parameters including oxidative stress related parameters and histopathology studies were conducted. Results: A significant cell death through a process mediated by excitotoxicity was reported. Memantine and hespiridin have produced protective effects in our studies. As hespiridin is a natural antioxidant and it elicited its protective effect by decreasing lipid peroxidation and elevation of superoxide dismutase, catalase activity. Conclusion: Both memantine and hespiridin have shown protective effect against monosodium induced excitotoxicity in both in vitro and in vivo experiments. Food intake and body weight increased due to glutamate was antagonized by memantine and hespiridin. Biochemical parameters and histopathological studies also supported the above claim. However, further investigations are necessary to find mechanisms involved.