Developmental Differences in NMDA Neurototoxicity and the Expression of NMDA Receptor 2B Subunit of Rat Hippocampus.
- Author:
Young Chul YOUN
1
;
Tae Hwan PARK
;
Oh Sang KWON
;
Soo Ahn CHAE
;
Chung Soo LEE
Author Information
1. Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea. neudoc@cau.ac.kr
- Publication Type:In Vitro ; Original Article
- Keywords:
Hippocampus;
Bcl2;
NeuN protein;
N-methyl-D-aspartate;
NR2B protein
- MeSH:
Animals;
Blotting, Western;
Brain;
Cell Death;
Fluorescence;
Hippocampus*;
Incubators;
N-Methylaspartate*;
Neurotoxins;
Propidium;
Rats*;
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
- From:Journal of the Korean Neurological Association
2007;25(3):364-371
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: The developing brain has a distinctive set of characteristics that make it have different susceptibility to excitotoxins. Using primary tissue cultures of rat hippocampus, we investigated the developmental susceptibility to N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA)-induced cell death at various days in vitro in relation to the appearance of Bcl-2 protein and NMDA receptor 2B subunit. METHODS: Six, 12, and 18 days-in-vitro (DIV) hippocampal tissue cultures derived from 7-day-old Sprague-Dawley rat pups were used. Each group was treated with 100 micrometer NMDA in 5% CO2 incubator at 36 degrees C for 30 min. A western blot was then performed for the NeuN, Bcl-2 and NMDA receptor 2B subunit and propidium Iodide (PI) staining. RESULTS: The NeuN and Bcl-2 were most highly expressed in 12 DIV tissues. The reductions of the NeuN and Bcl-2 protein expressions by NMDA were significant at the 12 and the 18 DIV tissues, but less at 6 DIV tissues (p<0.05). The PI staining showed that the area of fluorescence of the 7 DIV tissues after NMDA exposure was less than the DIV 13 and 19 tissues. Without NMDA treatment, the NMDA receptor 2B subunit protein expressions at the 6 DIV tissues were highest and decreased with maturation. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the immature tissues were more resistant to NMDA toxicity than the mature tissues, and further studies are needed to establish its relationship with the Bcl-2 protein and NMDA receptor 2B subunit.
