title: MK801-induced caspase-3 in the postnatal brain: inverse relationship with calcium binding proteins.
abstract: Age-dependent, neuronal apoptosis following N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor blockade has been linked to loss of calcium. To further explore this relationship, we examined expression of activated caspase-3, as well as the calcium binding proteins, calbindin-D 28K, calretinin and parvalbumin, following injection of vehicle or the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor blocker, MK801, in postnatal day 7 or 21 rats. At postnatal day 7, MK801-induced activated caspase-3 expression was most frequently found in mutually exclusive cell populations to those expressing any of the three calcium binding proteins. For example, in the somatosensory cortex, most immunoreactivity for activated caspase-3 was found in layers IV/V, layered between areas of high calbindin or calretinin expression. Further, in the caudate putamen, activated caspase-3 rarely invaded zones of intense calbindin immunoreactivity. Suggesting expression patterns of these proteins were inversely related, these same brain regions no longer displayed MK801-induced activated caspase-3 at postnatal day 21, but instead robustly expressed calcium binding proteins. This later surge in expression was especially true for parvalbumin in regions such as the somatosensory and retrosplenial cortex, as well as the subicular complex. Calbindin-D 28K was also found to increase in the same regions though not as impressively as parvalbumin. Thus, developmental regulation of calcium binding protein expression may be a critical factor in age-dependent sensitivity to agents that disrupt calcium homeostasis in maturing neurons, providing a possible mechanistic explanation for age-dependent MK801 toxicity.
authors.affiliation: Neurobiology and Anatomy, Wake Forest University Medical School, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston Salem, NC 27157-1010, USA. cltome@wfubmc.edu
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Lema Tomé
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nottingham
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Blackstone
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hlavaty
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Daker
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sola
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bryan
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Turner
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development*; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*; D002452:Cell Count / Q000379:methods; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate; C505410:Casp3 protein, rat; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases