Nimodipine accelerates the postnatal development of parvalbumin and S-100 beta immunoreactivity in the rat brain.
The effects of chronic maternal perinatal nimodipine treatment on the immunocytochemical distribution of the Ca(2+)-binding proteins parvalbumin (PV) and S-100 beta in neocortex and hippocampus were studied at the age of postnatal day (PD) 5, 7, 10, 14 and 20. The Ca2+ antagonist nimodipine (1000 ppm BAY e 9736 in daily food) was administered to pregnant rats starting at postconceptual day 11. The expression of PV exemplified in layer V of parietal and retrosplenial cortex and in all hippocampal layers of CA1 and CA3 was enhanced by more than two-fold in the offspring of nimodipine-treated dams at PD 10 compared with placebo-treated animals. The difference was no longer present at PD 14 and 20. Nimodipine administration also significantly increased the number of S-100 beta-immunopositive glial cells in upper neocortical layers I-III at PD 5 and 7. Again, the difference between nimodipine and placebo-treated animals disappeared after PD 10. The data indicate an accelerated development of PV and S-100 immunoreactivity in the postnatal forebrain as a result of perinatal blockade of the L-type Ca2+ current.
Department of Animal Physiology, University of Groningen, Haren, The Netherlands.
B
B
Buwalda
R
R
Naber
C
C
Nyakas
P G
PG
Luiten
D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009553:Nimodipine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010320:Parvalbumins / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D012016:Reference Values; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D010320:Parvalbumins; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; D009418:S100 Proteins; D009553:Nimodipine