HOW MSG EXCITES YOUR NEURONS TO DEATH?

Dr. Olney in 1960's used MSG (mono sodium glutamate) to induce retinal damage in new born mice. But he obtained a completely unexpected set of results. In addition to retinal layer, a number of other brain areas including hypothalamus and circumventricular organs (that means brain areas located adjacent to ventricles and are devoid of blood brain barrier). the results were said to be confirmed with repeated experiments. He named MSG, an excitotoxin that expresses toxins with ability to over excite neurons to death.

When glutamate enters into neurons, it opens a calcium channel located on cell membrane. Brain cells has very efficient system to manage excess extra cellular glutamate using astrocytes, in order to keep glutamate concentration inside the cell under control. But, this system uses high amount of ATP, the energy currency of cell. If a large dose of glutamate could practically exhaust cellular energy stores, this balance disappears. Then, an uncontrollable cacium ion flux occur into cell interior, exciting neurons to death.