An astrocytic signaling loop for frequency-dependent control of dendritic integration and spatial learning.

Dendrites of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells amplify clustered glutamatergic input by activation of voltage-gated sodium channels and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs). NMDAR activity depends on the presence of NMDAR co-agonists such as D-serine, but how co-agonists influence dendritic integration is not well understood. Using combinations of whole-cell patch clamp, iontophoretic glutamate application, two-photon excitation fluorescence microscopy and glutamate uncaging in acute rat and mouse brain slices we found that exogenous D-serine reduced the threshold of dendritic spikes and increased their amplitude.

Pyruvate diminishes the cytotoxic activity of ascorbic acid in several tumor cell lines in vitro.

The anticancer potential of ascorbic acid (AA) has been controversially discussed for decades. Although the cytotoxic effect of pharmacologic concentrations of ascorbic acid has already been successfully demonstrated in numerous studies in vitro, it could not be verified to the same extent in vivo. We propose that the ubiquitous metabolite pyruvate diminishes the effect of AA by reacting with its presumable cytotoxic mediator hydrogen peroxide (HO).