title: Effect of anoxia and pharmacological anoxia on whole-cell NMDA receptor currents in cortical neurons from the western painted turtle.
abstract: The mammalian brain undergoes rapid cell death during anoxia that is characterized by uncontrolled Ca(2+) entry via N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs). In contrast, the western painted turtle is extremely anoxia tolerant and maintains close-to-normal [Ca(2+)](i) during periods of anoxia lasting from days to months. A plausible mechanism of anoxic survival in turtle neurons is the regulation of NMDARs to prevent excitotoxic Ca(2+) injury. However, studies using metabolic inhibitors such as cyanide (NaCN) as a convenient method to induce anoxia may not represent a true anoxic stress. This study was undertaken to determine whether turtle cortical neuron whole-cell NMDAR currents respond similarly to true anoxia with N(2) and to NaCN-induced anoxia. Whole-cell NMDAR currents were measured during a control N(2)-induced anoxic transition and a control NaCN-induced transition. During anoxia with N(2) normalized, NMDAR currents decreased to 35.3%+/-10.8% of control values. Two different NMDAR current responses were observed during NaCN-induced anoxia: one resulted in a 172%+/-51% increase in NMDAR currents, and the other was a decrease to 48%+/-14% of control. When responses were correlated to the two major neuronal subtypes under study, we found that stellate neurons responded to NaCN treatment with a decrease in NMDAR current, while pyramidal neurons exhibited both increases and decreases. Our results show that whole-cell NMDAR currents respond differently to NaCN-induced anoxia than to the more physiologically relevant anoxia with N(2).
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Toronto, 25 Harbord Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G5, Canada.
authors.forename: Damian Seung-Ho
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Leslie Thomas
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Buck
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate / Q000494:pharmacology; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D005260:Female; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008274:Magnesium / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000494:pharmacology; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000187:drug effects; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000378:metabolism*; D012966:Sodium Cyanide / Q000494:pharmacology; D014426:Turtles / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate; D008274:Magnesium; D009584:Nitrogen; D012966:Sodium Cyanide