Protective effect of arginine, leucine and preinjection of insulin on glutamate neurotoxicity in mice.

The simultaneous intubation of 10-day-old mice with either 2.28 g/kg body weight arginine hydrochloride or 0.2 g/kg b.wt. leucine significantly reduced the number of necrotic neurons in the arcuate nucleus (AN) of the hypothalamus resulting from 2 g/kg b. wt. monosodium L-gultamate (MSG). The prior injection of 0.02 units per capita of insulin suppressed the MSG-induced lesions to an even great extent. These findings are believed to form a basis for the ineffectiveness of dietary MSG in producing hypothalamic lesions.