title: Effect of delta-aminolevulinic acid and vitamin E treatments on the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor at different ages in the striatum of rat brain.
abstract: We report the effects of the chronic treatments with the oxidant agent delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and with the antioxidant vitamin E on the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in the striatum of 4-, 12- and 24-month-old male Wistar rats. ALA and vitamin E were administered daily for 15 days (40 mg/kg i.p. and 20 mg/kg i.p. respectively). NMDA receptors were labeled by membrane homogenate binding, using tritiated dizocilpine ([3H]MK-801). [3H]MK-801 binding in the striatum was significantly decreased at all ages in ALA-treated rats with respect to their controls, and in contrast, was significantly increased at all ages when rats received the treatment with vitamin E. Western blot assays were performed using antibodies against the NR2A subunit, a NMDA receptor subunit widely distributed in the brain. We did not find significant differences in the amounts of NR2A in rats treated with either ALA or vitamin E with respect to those rats not treated. We conclude that the NMDA receptor densities in the rat striatum are modified by the chronic treatment with oxidants and antioxidants in an age-independent way, at least until 24 months. Also, our results support the notion that NR2A is not involved in these modifications.
authors.affiliation: Dpto. Bioquímica y Biología Molecular; Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de León, 24007 León, Spain.
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Martínez-Villayandre
authors.forename: Miguel Angel
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Paniagua
authors.forename: Arsenio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernández-López
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Calvo
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000622:Aminolevulinic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000379:methods; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects*; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000378:metabolism*; D014316:Tritium / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D014316:Tritium; D014810:Vitamin E; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate; D000622:Aminolevulinic Acid