title: Corticosteroids alter G protein inwardly rectifying potassium channels protein levels in hippocampal subfields.
abstract: Corticosterone or cortisol, stress hormones in rat and human, respectively, alter neurotransmitter receptor-mediated responses in the brain. Corticosterone could alter these responses by modifying any component of the receptor-effector pathway. Many of these receptors are linked to guanine nucleotide regulatory proteins (G proteins) which, in turn, can activate second messenger systems and/or ion channels, such as G protein inwardly rectifying potassium channels (GIRK). The aim of these experiments was to determine whether corticosterone treatment altered the levels of GIRK proteins in rat hippocampus. Corticosterone treatment selectively altered the levels of GIRK1 and GIRK2 (measured on immunoblots) depending on the subfield of the hippocampus examined. These data lend credence to the hypothesis that corticosterone differentially alters neurotransmitter receptor-mediated responses dependent on the brain area.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL 60153, USA.
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Muma
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Beck
mesh_terms: D000315:Adrenalectomy; D000450:Aldosterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D018891:Dentate Gyrus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051676:G Protein-Coupled Inwardly-Rectifying Potassium Channels; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008297:Male; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D024661:Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D051676:G Protein-Coupled Inwardly-Rectifying Potassium Channels; D015221:Potassium Channels; D024661:Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying; D000450:Aldosterone; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins; D006854:Hydrocortisone