title: NMDA-Receptor Antagonist Prevents Measles Virus-induced Neurodegeneration.
abstract: N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors represent a major subtype of excitatory amino acid receptors in the mammalian brain. In addition to their physiological role, NMDA receptors have been linked to the occurrence of nerve cell death in several neurodegenerative diseases. The hamster neurotropic (HNT) strain of measles virus causes non-inflammatory encephalopathy in mice. This is associated with neuronal loss in areas CA1 and CA3 of the hippocampus. Systemic treatment with the non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist 5-methyl-10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo(a,d)cyclo-hepten-5,10-imine maleate (MK-801) prevented this cellular necrosis. Thus, a virus may have indirect neurodegenerative effects in the brain due to activation of NMDA receptors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology (Division of Cellular and Neuropathology), Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge Hospital, S-141 86 Huddinge, Sweden.
authors.forename: Tommy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Andersson
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schultzberg
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schwarcz
authors.forename: Arthur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Löve
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wickman
authors.forename: Krister
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kristensson