Muscarinic-receptor antagonist scopolamine rescues hippocampal neurons from death induced by glutamate.
Cultured hippocampal neurons were used to test the hypothesis that modulation of muscarine receptors can modify glutamate-induced neurodegeneration. Treatment of hippocampal cultures with scopolamine (1 nM to 1 mM) under glutamate incubation had beneficial effect on neuronal viability. Thus, blockade of muscarinic-receptor sites increased the threshold for glutamate neurotoxicity. These data show that interactions between the NMDA, muscarinic receptors and their corresponding neurotransmitter inputs to hippocampal neurons may play a crucial role in neurodegeneration.
Rami
A
A
Center of Morphology, Department of Anatomy III, University-Clinic, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt, Germany. rami@em.uni-frankfurt.de
Krieglstein
J
J
D000818:Animals; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D012601:Scopolamine / Q000494:pharmacology*
D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists; D009498:Neurotoxins; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D012601:Scopolamine