Quantitative autoradiographic distribution of glutamate receptors in the cervical segment of the spinal cord of the wobbler mouse.
The reduction of glutamate content has been observed in the spinal cord of the wobbler mouse, a purported model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). To elucidate glutamate receptors in the wobbler spinal cord, we measured densities of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), kainate, alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole proprionic acid (AMPA) and metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) binding sites using in vitro autoradiography. In wobbler mice, NMDA, kainate, and AMPA binding sites were increased in the dorsal horn and kainate binding sites were also increased in the intermediate zone. However, mGlu binding was unchanged. These results disagree with those observed in ALS spinal cords, in which NMDA and kinate binding sites are decreased. The wobbler mouse may have the glutamate dysfunction, but in a different way from ALS.
Tomiyama
M
M
Third Department of Medicine, Hirosaki University School of Medicine, Japan.
Kannari
K
K
Nunomura
J
J
Oyama
Y
Y
Takebe
K
K
Matsunaga
M
M
D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography; D051379:Mice; D008818:Mice, Neurologic Mutants; D016472:Motor Neuron Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018091:Receptors, AMPA / Q000378:metabolism; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate / Q000378:metabolism*; D018092:Kainic Acid Receptors / Q000378:metabolism; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate / Q000378:metabolism; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000378:metabolism; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
D018091:Receptors, AMPA; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate; D018092:Kainic Acid Receptors; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate