title: Neurosteroids allosterically modulate the ion pore of the NMDA receptor consisting of NR1/NR2B but not NR1/NR2A.
abstract: Neurosteroids are endogenously derived compounds, mediating rapid effects in the central nervous system. They participate in vital processes, including memory and learning, neuroplasticity, and neuroprotection in Alzheimer's disease. However, the mechanisms behind those effects remain to be elucidated. The neurosteroids pregnenolone sulphate (PS) and pregnanolone sulphate (3alpha5betaS) have recently been shown to allosterically alter the NMDA receptor in nanomolar concentrations. Those studies featured ifenprodil, which is a dirty drug, with affinity to many targets. In this study we compare the NMDA receptors in the hippocampus to recombinant NMDA receptors, using [3H]-MK-801 as radioligand. The results show that neurosteroids modulate the ifenprodil binding kinetics in a narrow concentration interval, addressing it to the NR2B subunit, since no effects were recorded at recombinant NR1/NR2A receptors. The effects were also seen as changes in the manner ifenprodil displaced or induced the dissociation of [3H]-MK-801. It indicates that the neurosteroidal effects indeed alter the ion pore of the NMDA receptor, why it is reasonable to believe that these findings have physiological relevance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Bioscience, Division of Biological Research on Drug Dependence, Uppsala University, P.O. Box 591, S-751 24 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elfverson
authors.forename: Anna-Malin
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Linde
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Le Grevès
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Fred
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nyberg
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Johansson
mesh_terms: D000494:Allosteric Regulation; D000818:Animals; D016466:CHO Cells; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010880:Piperidines / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D011280:Pregnanolone / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D011284:Pregnenolone / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000819:agonists / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007473:Ion Channels; C409466:NR1 NMDA receptor; C120997:NR2A NMDA receptor; C121001:NR2B NMDA receptor; D010880:Piperidines; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C018370:pregnenolone sulfate; D011284:Pregnenolone; D011280:Pregnanolone; C010739:ifenprodil