Diphenyl diselenide and diphenyl ditelluride: neurotoxic effect in brain of young rats, in vitro.

This study examined whether maturity of rat brain may be relevant for the sensitivity to diphenyl diselenide (PhSe)(2) and diphenyl ditelluride (PhTe)(2) on [(3)H]glutamate uptake and release, in vitro. Brain synaptosomes were isolated from young (14- and 30-day-old) and adult rats and incubated at different concentrations of (PhSe)(2) or (PhTe)(2). The results demonstrated that the highest concentration (100 microM) of (PhSe)(2) and (PhTe)(2) inhibited the [(3)H]glutamate uptake by synaptosomes of brain at all ages. In the adult brain, (PhSe)(2) did not inhibit the [(3)H]glutamate uptake at the lowest concentration (10 microM). The highest concentration of (PhTe)(2) inhibited the [(3)H]glutamate uptake more in the 14-day-old than in the 30-day-old rats or adult rats. In the 30-day-old animals, the highest concentration of (PhSe)(2), and the lowest concentration of (PhTe)(2), increased the basal [(3)H]glutamate release. At the highest concentration, (PhTe)(2) increased the basal and K(+)-stimulated glutamate release on all ages evaluated. The results suggest that (PhSe)(2) and (PhTe)(2) caused alterations on the homeostasis of the glutamatergic system at the pre-synaptic level. These alterations were age-, concentration-, and compound-dependent. The maturity of rat brain is relevant for the glutamatergic system sensitivity to (PhSe)(2) and (PhTe)(2) .