title: Expression of AMPA and NMDA receptor subunits in the cervical spinal cord of wobbler mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The localisation of AMPA and NMDA receptor subunits was studied in a model of degeneration of cervical spinal motoneurons, the wobbler mouse. Cervical regions from early or late symptomatic wobbler mice (4 or 12 weeks of age) were compared to lumbar tracts (unaffected) and to those of healthy mice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No differences were found in the distribution of AMPA and NMDA receptor subunits at both ages. Western blots analysis showed a trend of reduction in AMPA and NMDA receptor subunits, mainly GluR1 and NR2A, exclusively in the cervical region of late symptomatic mice in the triton-insoluble post-synaptic fraction but not whole homogenates. Colocalisation experiments evidenced the expression of GluR1 and NR2A receptors in activated astrocytes from the cervical spinal cord of wobbler mice, GluR2 did not colocalise with GFAP positive cells. No differences were found in the expression of AMPA and NMDA receptor subunits in the lumbar tract of wobbler mice, where neither motoneuron loss nor reactive gliosis occurs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In late symptomatic wobbler mice altered levels of GluR1 and NR2A receptor subunits may be a consequence of motoneuron loss rather than an early feature of motoneuron vulnerability.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Receptor Pharmacology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Milano, Italy. bigini@marionegri.it
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bigini
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gardoni
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barbera
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cagnotto
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fumagalli
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Longhi
authors.forename: Massimiliano M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Corsi
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Luca
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mennini
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015870:Gene Expression; D051379:Mice; D016472:Motor Neuron Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D021122:Protein Subunits / Q000378:metabolism; D018091:Receptors, AMPA / Q000378:metabolism*; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000378:metabolism*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism*; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D021122:Protein Subunits; D018091:Receptors, AMPA; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate