title: A simple cell line based in vitro test system for N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor ligands.
abstract: The generation of cell lines stably expressing the functional recombinant N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors (NRs) and their use for ligand testing in a simple excitotoxicity model is described. The mouse fibroblast cell line L(tk-) was co-transfected stably with cDNAs encoding the human NR subunits, NR1-1a/NR2A or NR1-1a/NR2B, respectively. The NR expression and functionality in resulting clones have been verified by RT-PCR, Western blotting, immunocytochemistry and fluo-4 calcium imaging. Stimulation of NR expressing clones with L-glutamate and glycine resulted in necrosis of cultures within 1 h. Therefore, a lactate dehydrogenase-based excitotoxicity assay was used for the pharmacological characterisation. The two selected clones exhibited pharmacological properties corresponding to the distinct NR subunit assemblies. Both cell lines showed proton inhibition of cell death in the range of physiological pH. EC50-values for L-glutamate under saturated D-serine concentrations were 3.7 microM for L12-G10 (NR1-1a/NR2A) and 2.8 microM for L13-E6 (NR1-1a/NR2B), respectively. Competitive antagonists (RS)-APV and (RS)-CPP as well as glycine B site antagonist DCKA prevented L-glutamate/glycine-induced cell death. NR2B selective antagonists such as ifenprodil or haloperidol did only protect L13-E6 cells. Spermine (300 microM) triggered cell death selectively in the L13-E6 clone in a pH-dependent manner.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt, Marie-Curie-Strasse 9, D-60439 Frankfurt/Main, Germany. ralfsteinmetz@web.de
authors.forename: Ralf D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Steinmetz
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fava
authors.forename: Pierluigi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nicotera
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Steinhilber
mesh_terms: D000814:Aniline Compounds; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D016923:Cell Death / Q000502:physiology; D002460:Cell Line; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D005347:Fibroblasts; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D008024:Ligands; D051379:Mice; D018009:Receptors, Glycine / Q000187:drug effects; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014162:Transfection; D014966:Xanthenes
chemical_list: D000814:Aniline Compounds; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; C409648:Fluo 4; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D008024:Ligands; D018009:Receptors, Glycine; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014966:Xanthenes; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D002118:Calcium