title: Diminution of the NMDA receptor NR2B subunit in cortical and subcortical areas of WAG/Rij rats.
abstract: Modulation of glutamatergic NMDA receptors affects the synchronization of spike discharges in in WAG/Rij rats, a valid genetic animal model of absence epilepsy. In this study, we describe the alteration of NR2B subunit of NMDA receptors expression in WAG/Rij rats in different somatosensory cortical layers and in hippocampal CA1 area. Experimental groups were divided into four groups of six rats of both WAG/Rij and Wistar strains with 2 and 6 months of age. The distribution of NR2B receptors was assessed by immunohistochemical staining in WAG/Rij and compared with age-matched Wistar rats. The expression of NR2B subunit was significantly decreased in different somatosensory cortical layers in 2- and 6-month-old WAG/Rij rats. In addition, the distribution of NR2B in hippocampal CA1 area was lower in 6-month-old WAG/Rij compared with age-matched Wistar rats. The reduction of NR2B receptors in different brain areas points to disturbance of glutamate receptors expression in cortical and subcortical areas in WAG/Rij rats. An altered subunit assembly of NMDA receptors may underlie cortical hyperexcitability in absence epilepsy.
authors.affiliation: Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Shefa Neuroscience Research Centre, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Fariba
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Karimzadeh
authors.forename: Mansoureh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soleimani
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mehdizadeh
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jafarian
authors.forename: Maliheh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mohamadpour
authors.forename: Hadi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kazemi
authors.forename: Mohammad-Taghi
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Joghataei
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gorji
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D058256:Brain Waves; D056547:CA1 Region, Hippocampal / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D004832:Epilepsy, Absence / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: C121001:NR2B NMDA receptor; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate
keywords: brain; children seizures; genetic models of epilepsy; spike-wave discharges