title: Attenuation of focal cerebral infarct in mice lacking NMDA receptor subunit NR2C.
abstract: Neuronal death following cerebral vascular occlusion may be caused in part by the action of glutamate acting through the NMDA receptor. Here we demonstrate that gene disruption of the NR2C subunit of the NMDA receptor attenuates focal cerebral ischemic injury after permanent MCA occlusion, and that a low level of NR2C is expressed and active in the cerebral cortex. NR2C-deficient mice do not show impairment of motor coordination or motor learning. Therefore the development of drugs selectively inhibiting NR2C may prove beneficial in the treatment of stroke and traumatic brain injuries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Kyoto University Faculty of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kadotani
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Namura
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Katsuura
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Terashima
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000172:deficiency*; D011869:Radioligand Assay; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D010446:Peptide Fragments; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate