Retinal ischemia, a major cause of visual loss, is believed to result from overexcitation of glutamate receptors. However, under euglycemic and normoxic conditions, exogenously applied glutamate is not neurotoxic in the retina. Under such conditions, exogenous glutamate typically causes glia swelling and requires very high concentrations to produce neurotoxicity. To determine whether ischemic conditions enhance the neurotoxicity of endogenous and exogenous glutamate, we examined the effects of simulated ischemia (deprivation of both glucose and oxygen) on retinal morphology and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release. In an ex vivo rat retinal preparation, glutamate was administered during simulated ischemia in the presence of riluzole, an inhibitor of glutamate release. Deprivation of both glucose and oxygen for 60 min at 30°C produced severe acute neurodegeneration. This neurodegeneration, characterized by bull's eye formation in the inner nuclear layer and spongy appearance in the inner plexiform layer, was prevented by the combination of MK-801 and DNQX, antagonists of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and non-NMDA receptors, indicating that the damage results from activation of both glutamate receptors. We also found that administration of glutamate pyruvate transaminase (alanine aminotransaminase) with pyruvate diminished the neurodegeneration during simulated ischemia. Furthermore, riluzole, an inhibitor of glutamate release, attenuated the neurodegeneration, suggesting the importance of endogenous glutamate in ischemic damage. In the presence of riluzole and simulated ischemia, exogenously applied glutamate failed to cause Müller cell swelling but was extremely neurotoxic. These results suggest that simulated ischemia enhances glutamate-mediated neurotoxicity in part by depressing glutamate uptake. When glutamate transport is impaired, sub-millimolar glutamate concentrations become profoundly neurotoxic.