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It is well documented that neurons exposed to high concentrations of excitatory amino acids, such as glutamate and aspartate, degenerate and die. The clearance of these amino acids from the synaptic cleft depends mainly on their transport by high‐affinity sodium‐dependent carriers. Using microdialysis in vivo and HPLC analysis, we have studied the effect of the administration of inhibitors of the glutamate transporter (l‐trans‐pyrrolidine‐2,4‐dicarboxylate and dihydrokainate) on the extracellular concentration of endogenous amino acids in the rat striatum. In addition, we have analyzed whether the changes observed in the concentration of glutamate and aspartate were injurious to striatal cells. Neuronal damage was assessed by biochemical determination of choline acetyltransferase and glutamate decarboxylase activities, 7 days after the microdialysis procedure. In other experiments, pyrrolidine dicarboxylate …