Interleukin-2 inhibits NMDA receptor-mediated currents directly and may differentially affect subtypes

• Published in: Biochemical and biophysical research communications Vol. 351; no. 2; pp. 449 - 454
• Main Authors: Shen, Yi, Zhu, Li-Jun, Liu, Shuang-Shuang, Zhou, Su-Ya, Luo, Jian-Hong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 15.12.2006
• Subjects: Animals; Cells, Cultured; Cloning, Molecular; Hippocampal neuron; Hippocampus - cytology; Humans; Interleukin-2; Interleukin-2 - pharmacology; Interleukin-2 - physiology; Ion Channel Gating; Neurons - drug effects; Neurons - physiology; NMDA receptors; Patch-Clamp Techniques; Protein Isoforms - genetics; Protein Isoforms - physiology; Rat; Rats; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate - genetics; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate - physiology; Whole-cell patch clamp; Interleukin-2; Hippocampal neuron; Rat; NMDA receptors; Whole-cell patch clamp
• ISSN: 0006-291X; 1090-2104
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2006.10.047

Using whole-cell patch-clamp recordings, this study investigated the effects of interleukin-2 (IL-2) on N-methyl- d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-mediated currents ( I NMDA) in rat cultured hippocampal neurons and human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells expressing recombinant NMDA receptors. We found that IL-2 (0.01–1 ng/ml) immediately and significantly decreased peak I NMDA in cultured neurons. Interestingly, the peak I NMDA induced in HEK 293 cells was also inhibited by IL-2. We also found that IL-2 differentially decreased the peak amplitudes of NR2A- and NR2B-containing NMDA receptor-mediated currents ( I NR2A and I NR2B) by 54 ± 5% and 30 ± 4%, respectively. These results provide new evidence that IL-2 induces rapid inhibition of peak currents of NMDA receptor-mediated responses with possible NR1/NR2A and NR1/NR2B subtype-differentiation, and suggest that the inhibition is mediated by direct interaction between IL-2 and NMDA receptors.