title: Alterations in the dendritic morphology of prefrontal pyramidal neurons in adult rats after blockade of NMDA receptors in the postnatal period.
abstract: The present study assessed whether the blockade of NMDA receptors in the postnatal period, used to model the symptoms of schizophrenia altered morphology of pyramidal neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex of rats. CGP 40116, an antagonist of NMDA receptors, was given postnatally (days 1-21 after birth). The analysis of the morphology of pyramidal neurons visualized by the Golgi-Cox technique revealed that the exposure to an antagonist of NMDA receptors in the postnatal period diminished the length of basilar dendrites, while that of apical dendrites remained unchanged. The number of dendritic branches and the spine density remained unchanged. It is concluded that the blockade of NMDA receptors in the postnatal period only partially models morphological changes in pyramidal neurons of the medial prefrontal cortex, which are observed in some cases of schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Pharmacology, Laboratory of Pharmacology and Brain Biostructure, Smetna 12 Street, 31-343 Kraków, Poland. nfwedzon@cyf-kr.edu.pl
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wedzony
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fijał
authors.forename: Marzena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maćkowiak
mesh_terms: D015763:2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002452:Cell Count; D003712:Dendrites / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000187:drug effects*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; C064539:2-amino-4-methyl-5-phosphono-3-pentenoic acid; D015763:2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate