Selective NR2B NMDA receptor antagonists are protective against staurosporine-induced apoptosis.
Staurosporine-induced apoptosis was associated with a 20% cellular survival rate in primary rat forebrain cultures. Treatment with the NR2B subunit-selective NMDA receptor antagonist conantokin-G (0.1-1 microM) increased the survival rate up to 78%. No protection was provided by the nonselective NMDA receptor antagonist dizocilpine (0.01-10 microM) but 34-64% cellular survival was provided by ifenprodil (0.01-10 microM), another NR2B subunit-selective antagonist. These results suggest a novel anti-apoptotic mechanism linked to the NR2B receptor subunit.
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D020916:Conotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate / Q000494:pharmacology; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology; D010880:Piperidines / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D019311:Staurosporine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000494:pharmacology
D020916:Conotoxins; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; C121001:NR2B NMDA receptor; D010880:Piperidines; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate; C055407:conotoxin GV; D019311:Staurosporine; C010739:ifenprodil