Multiple classes of the oligodendrocyte lineage are highly vulnerable to excitotoxicity.
We have recently shown that galactocerebroside (Gal-C)-expressing oligodendrocytes are highly vulnerable to (AMPA)/kainate receptor-mediated death. Here we examined the vulnerability of cells at different developmental stages of the oligodendrocyte lineage to AMPA/kainate receptor-mediated excitotoxicity. Oligodendrocyte precursor cells, pre-oligodendrocytes and mature oligodendrocytes were killed by 24 h exposures to low concentrations of kainate (30-100 microM). Death was attenuated by the AMPA/kainate receptor antagonist 6-nitro-7-sulfamoylbenzo(f)quinoxaline-2,3-dione (NBQX). The high vulnerability of oligodendrocytes and their precursors to AMPA/kainate receptor excitotoxicity may represent an important mechanism of white matter damage resulting from trauma or ischemia in the perinatal and adult central nervous system (CNS).
Center for the Study of Nervous System Injury and Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA.
J W
JW
McDonald
J M
JM
Levine
Y
Y
Qu
D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000502:physiology; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000633:toxicity; D018846:Excitatory Amino Acids / Q000633:toxicity*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D009836:Oligodendroglia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D016548:Prosencephalon / Q000166:cytology; D011810:Quinoxalines / Q000633:toxicity; D018091:Receptors, AMPA / Q000187:drug effects; D018092:Kainic Acid Receptors / Q000187:drug effects
D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D018846:Excitatory Amino Acids; D011810:Quinoxalines; D018091:Receptors, AMPA; D018092:Kainic Acid Receptors; C062865:2,3-dioxo-6-nitro-7-sulfamoylbenzo(f)quinoxaline