Glutamic acid effets
Glutamate induces calcium and sodium entry into cells and synaptic transmission in the central nervous system.
It facilitates memorizing and is involved in long-term potentiation, which consists of an increase of postsynaptic responses for a long duration following a short stimulation. An experiment showed that transgenic mice having more NMDA receptors than controls had better performances at training.
One finds in literature little precise data about physiological effects of glutamate and, taking into account their complexity, it is difficult to schematize them.
In large doses, glutamate is toxic, probably by eliciting an excessive penetration of Na+ and Ca2+ into nervous cells.
Note:
- Sodium g lutamate is used in the food industry where it is added to various foods like taste enhancer.
- The cause of Chinese restaurant syndrome characterized by a brutal redness of face and thorax, chest pain with nausea, was attributed, probably wrongly, to intake of excessive quantity of glutamate, used as a food additive.
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