title: Effects of the N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonists on the rise in [Ca2+]i following depolarization in aged rat brain synaptosomes.
abstract: The effects of non-competitive NMDA antagonists, MK-801 and dextrorphan in relation to the rise in intracellular Ca2+ concentrations ([Ca2+]i) after stimulation with 15 mM K+ in whole brain synaptosomes from young (3 months old) and aged (24 months old) Fisher344 rats were examined. A fluorescent chelating agent, Rhod-2, was employed to monitor any alterations of K(+)-evoked [Ca2+]i. In young rats, the rise in [Ca2+]i following depolarization was affected by neither dextrorphan (1, 10, 100 microM) nor MK-801 (0.1, 1, 10 microM), while in aged rats, 1 microM dextrorphan and 0.1 microM MK-801 brought about a significant increase in [Ca2+]i following depolarization. In low Mg2+ medium, 10 microM MK-801 and 100 microM dextrorphan significantly inhibited the rise in [Ca2+]i after stimulation with 15 mM K+ in young rats, while neither dextrorphan nor MK-801 could affect the rise in [Ca2+]i significantly in aged rats. When 100 microM NMDA was applied in a medium containing 1.2 mM Mg2+, the rise in [Ca2+]i following depolarization was slightly inhibited by 1 microM MK-801 in young rats, but it was not inhibited significantly by dextrorphan. In aged rats, both 100 microM dextrorphan and 10 microM MK-801 strongly inhibited the rise in [Ca2+]i following depolarization in the presence of 100 microM NMDA. Instead of NMDA, when 100 microM alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA), a non-NMDA receptor agonist, was applied, dextrorphan did not inhibit the rise in [Ca2+]i. In low Mg2+ medium, 100 microM NMDA potentiated the inhibitory effect of 10 microM dextrorphan in young rats, while 100 microM dextrorphan or MK-801 did not show any further inhibition by adding 100 microM NMDA. The addition of 100 microM AMPA did not affect the effect of dextrorphan in a low Mg2+ medium in young rats. These results suggest that NMDA antagonist-mediated [Ca2+]i homeostatic system may alter through aging. In addition, the findings that NMDA potentiated the inhibitory effect of NMDA antagonist, which being further potentiated by aging or lowered extrasynaptosomal Mg2+, indicate the possibility that the Mg2+ block to NMDA receptors might be attenuated through aging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuoka University, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Urae
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Iwasaki
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mine
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D003917:Dextrorphan / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006575:Heterocyclic Compounds, 3-Ring; D008274:Magnesium / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D011188:Potassium / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000502:physiology; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D013574:Synaptosomes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006575:Heterocyclic Compounds, 3-Ring; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D003917:Dextrorphan; C068483:rhod-2; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate; D008274:Magnesium; D011188:Potassium; D002118:Calcium