Ethanol‐Induced Aspartate and Taurine Release from Primary Astrocyte Cultures

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Abstract
Exposure of primary astrocyte cultures to isosmo-tic ethanol from 10-100 mA/ led to both swelling of the cells and release of [3H]taurine and r[3H]aspartate. Exposure to hyperosmotic ethanol, in the same concentration range. caused neither swelling nor release. Release was inhibited by the anion transport blocker L-644,711, already shown to inhibit amino acid release evoked by hyposmotic or high-potassium medium, conditions that also cause astrocytic swelling. Ethanol-induced release generally showed a decline in response to successive exposures to ethanol, and release was not dependent on extracellular calcium. Thus, the characteristics of swelling-induced release of amino acids by isosmotic ethanol seem to correspond to those of swelling-induced release from astrocytes due to exposure to hypotonic or high-K+ media. We discuss whether such effects may contribute to CNS damage after head injury and stroke.