Expression and developmental regulation of the NMDA receptor subunits in the kidney and cardiovascular system

• Published in: American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology Vol. 283; no. 4; pp. 964 - R971
• Main Authors: Leung, Jocelyn C, Travis, Brett R, Verlander, Jill W, Sandhu, Satinder K, Yang, Song-Gui, Zea, Arnold H, Weiner, I. David, Silverstein, Douglas M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.10.2002
• Subjects: Aging - metabolism; Animals; Brain - metabolism; Cardiovascular System - metabolism; Cells, Cultured; Dogs; Female; Immunohistochemistry; Kidney - cytology; Kidney - metabolism; LLC-PK1 Cells; Myocardium - cytology; Myocardium - metabolism; Opossums; Protein Isoforms - metabolism; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate - metabolism; Swine
• ISSN: 0363-6119; 1522-1490
• DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00629.2001

Department of Pediatrics, Divisions of 1  Neonatology, 2  Nephrology, and 4  Cardiology and 5  Departments of Pediatrics and Microbiology and the Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112; and 3  Department of Medicine, 6  Veterans Administration Medical Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611 Antagonists to the N -methyl- D -aspartate (NMDA) receptor bind to various extraneuronal tissues. We therefore assessed the expression of the main NMDA subunit, NR1, in various tissues. We demonstrate that NR1 appears to be most abundant in the rat kidney and heart. NR1 is present in total rat kidney, cortex, and medulla. Of the NR2 subunits, only the NR2C subunit protein is present in the kidney. The abundance of the NR1 subunit protein increases with kidney development. Both NR1 and NR2C are present in opossum kidney, Madin-Darby canine kidney, and LLC-PK 1 cells. Immunohistochemistry studies show that the NR1 subunit is present in the renal proximal tubule. NR1 is abundant in the atrium and ventricle but is also expressed in the aorta and pulmonary artery. The NR2 subunits are not expressed in the heart. NR1 subunit protein expression is constant throughout heart development. Finally, the NR1 subunit protein is expressed in heart cells (H9c2) grown in culture. These studies reveal the presence of the NMDA receptor in the kidney and the cardiovascular system. N -methyl- D -aspartate receptor; development