Synaptic N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors in the neonatal rat visual cortex are less sensitive to MK-801 than in adult.
The excitatory postsynaptic potential mediated by N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors (NMDA-EPSP) was intracellularly obtained in slices from the visual cortex of adult and 2-week-old rats. Bath application of 0.3 microM (+)-MK-801, an NMDA receptor open-channel blocker, completely blocked NMDA-EPSPs in slices from adult rats. By contrast, in slices from the younger rats, a 10 microM solution was needed for the complete blockade. This difference in sensitivity to an open-channel blocker implies a major developmental change in the conformation of NMDA receptors in situ.
Department of Integrative Brain Science, Faculty of Medicine, Kyoto University, Japan.
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Kato
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000254:growth & development*; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D051381:Rats; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000187:drug effects*; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development
D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate