title: Cobalt staining of hippocampal neurons mediated by non-desensitizing activation of AMPA but not kainate receptors.
abstract: Activation of calcium permeable glutamate receptors is likely to be important for neuronal death associated with brain trauma, stroke and neurodegenerative diseases. Cobalt uptake can be used to identify cells containing Ca2+-permeable non-NMDA ionotropic glutamate receptors. However, the relative contribution of AMPA and kainate receptors, and also the role of receptor desensitization on the influx of Co2+, remain to be established. We found that the selective non-desensitizing activation of AMPA receptors was efficient in promoting Co2+ staining. However, the selective activation of kainate receptors, even under non-desensitizing conditions, did not result in Co2+ staining. Taken together, our results show that non-desensitizing stimulation of AMPA, but not of kainate receptors, mediates the influx of Co2+ in cultured rat hippocampal neurons.
authors.affiliation: Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology of Coimbra, Institute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal. jomalva@cnc.cj.uc.pt
authors.forename: João Oliveira
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Malva
authors.forename: Ana P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.forename: António F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Ambrósio
authors.forename: Catarina R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Oliveira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D003035:Cobalt / Q000378:metabolism; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D006652:Histological Techniques; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018091:Receptors, AMPA / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D018092:Kainic Acid Receptors / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D003035:Cobalt; D004396:Coloring Agents; D018091:Receptors, AMPA; D018092:Kainic Acid Receptors