The Journal of Neuroscience, July 9, 2003, 23(14):6023-6029
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Group II Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors Regulate the Vulnerability to Hypoxic Brain Damage
Alessandro Poli,1
Alina Beraudi,1
Luigi Villani,1
Marianna Storto,2
Giuseppe Battaglia,2
Valeria Di Giorgi Gerevini,3
Irene Cappuccio,3
Andrea Caricasole,3,4
Mara D'Onofrio,2 and
Ferdinando Nicoletti2,3
1Department of Biology, University of Bologna,
40126 Bologna, Italy, 2Istituto Neurologico
Mediterraneo Neuromed, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy,
3Department of Human Physiology and Pharmacology,
University of Rome "La Sapienza," 00185 Rome, Italy, and
4SienaBiotech, 53100 Siena, Italy
We examined the expression of metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors in
species of fish that differ for their vulnerability to anoxic brain damage.
Although expression of mGlu1a and mGlu5 receptors was similar in the brain of
all species examined, expression of mGlu2/3 receptors was substantially higher
in the brain of anoxia-tolerant species (i.e., the carp Carassius
carassius and the goldfish Carassius auratus) than in the brain
of species that are highly vulnerable to anoxic damage, such as the trouts
Salmo trutta and Oncorhynchus mykiss. This difference was
confirmed by measuring the mGlu2/3 receptor-mediated inhibition of
forskolin-stimulated cAMP formation in slices prepared from the telencephalon
of C. auratus and S. trutta. We exposed the goldfish C.
auratus to water deprived of oxygen for 4 hr for the induction of hypoxic
brain damage. Although the goldfish survived this treatment, the occurrence of
apoptotic cell death could be demonstrated by terminal deoxynucleotidyl
transferase-mediated biotinylated UTP nick end labeling staining and by the
assessment of caspase-3 activity in different brain region. The extent of cell
death was highest in the medulla oblongata, followed by the optic tectum,
cerebellum, and hypothalamus. No cell death was found in the telencephalon.
This regional pattern of hypoxic damage was inversely related to the
expression of mGlu2/3 receptors, which was lowest in the medulla oblongata and
highest in the telencephalon. Treatment of the goldfish with the brain
permeant mGlu2/3 receptor antagonist LY341495 (1 mg/kg, i.p.) amplified anoxic
damage throughout the brain and enabled the induction of cell death by anoxia
in the telencephalon. In contrast, treatment of the goldfish with the mGlu2/3
receptor agonist LY379268 (0.5 or 1 mg/kg, i.p.) was highly protective against
anoxic brain damage. Finally, exposure to the antagonist LY341495 (0.5
µM) greatly amplified the release of glutamate induced by
hypoxia in slices prepared from the medulla oblongata and the telencephalon of
the goldfish. We conclude that expression of mGlu2/3 receptors provides a
major defensive mechanism against brain damage in anoxia-tolerant species.
Key words: mGlu receptors; anoxia; apoptosis; goldfish; neuroprotection; glutamate release
Received Nov. 25, 2002;
revised Apr. 14, 2003;
accepted Apr. 16, 2003.
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