title: The mGluR2/3 agonist LY379268 blocks the effects of GLT-1 upregulation on prepulse inhibition of the startle reflex in adult rats.
abstract: The main glutamate transporter GLT-1 is responsible for clearing synaptically released glutamate from the extracellular space and contributes to the shaping of glutamatergic transmission. Recently, it has been shown that ceftriaxone (CEF)-induced GLT-1 upregulation is associated with an impairment of the prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the startle reflex, a simple form of information processing that is reduced in schizophrenia, and determines a strong reduction in hippocampal metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR)2/3-dependent long-term depression. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that administration of the mGluR2/3 agonist LY379268 blocks the effect of GLT-1 upregulation on PPI of the startle. We showed that administration of LY379268 (1 mg/kg) prevented PPI alterations associated with GLT-1 upregulation, suggesting that CEF-induced PPI impairment was mGluR2/3 dependent. In addition, we showed that CEF-induced GLT-1 upregulaton did not alter the expression of mGluR2/3, and also that it occurred at sites of mGluR2/3 expression. These results indicate a novel mechanism by which GLT-1 upregulation modulates PPI of the startle.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bellesi
authors.forename: Fiorenzo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Conti
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D019086:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D027342:Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 2 / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D036881:Long-Term Synaptic Depression / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate / Q000819:agonists* / Q000378:metabolism; D055139:Sensory Gating / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D019086:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D027342:Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 2; C118218:LY 379268; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate; C108822:metabotropic glutamate receptor 2; D018698:Glutamic Acid