title: Systemic NMDA treatment increases plasma ACTH in the neonatal female and male rat.
abstract: The present study was designed to examine the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) response to N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) in neonatal rats. Subcutaneous injection of NMDA (30 mg/kg) was found to increase plasma ACTH concentrations two-fold after 15 min in 9-10 and 20-21 day-old female and male rats. Pretreatment with the competitive NMDA receptor antagonist CPP (10 mg/kg) failed to attenuate the ACTH response to NMDA in the younger rats, yet reduced the response in older ones. These findings indicate that NMDA can elevate plasma ACTH in both female and male neonatal rats, however this response is not sensitive to CPP antagonism until the end of the neonatal period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Missouri, St. Louis 63121.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Bardgett
authors.forename: G T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Farah
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000097:blood*; D004830:Epilepsy, Tonic-Clonic / Q000139:chemically induced; D005260:Female; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D008297:Male; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D010879:Piperazines / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: D010879:Piperazines; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; C065286:SDZ EAA 494; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone