Quinolinic acid is an endogenous N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor agonist synthesized from L-tryptophan via the kynurenine pathway and thereby has the potential of mediating N-methyl-D-aspartate neuronal damage and dysfunction[1][2].
Quinolinic acid (0-50 mM; 24 hours) decreases the percentage of survival cells ranging from 100±0.01% at 5 mM to 45.23±0.01% at 50 mM in N18D3 cells[2].
References:
[1]. Heyes MP, et al. Quinolinic acid and kynurenine pathway metabolism in inflammatory and non-inflammatory neurological disease. Brain. 1992 Oct;115 ( Pt 5):1249-73.
[2]. Jang S, et al. Neuroprotective effects of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate against quinolinic acid-induced excitotoxicity via PI3K pathway and NO inhibition. Brain Res. 2010 Feb 8;1313:25-33.