title: Platelet-activating factor (PAF) receptor in rat brain: PAF mobilizes intracellular Ca2+ in hippocampal neurons.
abstract: Platelet-activating factor (PAF), an alkylether phospholipid, is produced in the brain when it is subjected to various stimuli. Using a Xenopus oocyte expression system, we obtained evidence for functional PAF receptor mRNA expression in rat brain. The presence of the PAF receptor was confirmed and shown to be quite ubiquitous in the CNS by RNA blot and radioligand binding studies. To investigate the neuronal functions of PAF, intracellular Ca2+ increase elicited by nanomolar PAF application was analyzed in cultured rat hippocampal cells. Fractions of NMDA-responsive cells and non-NMDA-responsive cells were shown to respond to PAF, suggesting a potential role for PAF in the Ca2+ signaling pathway in the hippocampus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bito
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Honda
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Izumi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwatsubo
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Seyama
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ogura
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kudo
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimizu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015870:Gene Expression; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D009865:Oocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D010972:Platelet Activating Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010980:Platelet Membrane Glycoproteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014162:Transfection; D014982:Xenopus laevis
chemical_list: D010972:Platelet Activating Factor; D010980:Platelet Membrane Glycoproteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; C039351:platelet activating factor receptor; D002118:Calcium