MK-801, an antagonist of NMDA receptors, inhibits injury-induced c-fos protein accumulation in rat brain.
Unilateral lesions of the rat hippocampus produced by needle insertion lead to ipsilateral accumulation of c-fos protein in dentate granule cells and neurons in the piriform cortex, as well as in glial-like cells in the corpus callosum and in ependymal cells lining the lateral ventricle adjacent to the lesion site. C-fos protein was detected immunocytochemically using two different antibodies in formalin-fixed brain sections. The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist MK-801 produced a dose- and time-dependent inhibition of c-fos protein accumulation in dentate granule cells and in neurons in the piriform cortex, but did not affect glial or ependymal c-fos protein accumulation. MK-801 at 4 mg/kg injected two hours before lesion inhibited c-fos accumulation. Thus, c-fos protein accumulation in hippocampal neurons and in neurons in the piriform cortex induced after traumatic brain injury involves activation of NMDA receptors.
Dragunow
M
M
Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Faull
R L
RL
Jansen
K L
KL
D000818:Animals; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003986:Dibenzocycloheptenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D017981:Receptors, Neurotransmitter / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
D003986:Dibenzocycloheptenes; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D017981:Receptors, Neurotransmitter; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate