Quantitative autoradiographic distribution of glutamate receptors in the cervical segment of the spinal cord of the wobbler mouse

• Published in: Brain research Vol. 650; no. 2; pp. 353 - 357
• Main Authors: Tomiyama, Masahiko, Kannari, Kazuya, Nunomura, Jin-ichi, Oyama, Yoshinobu, Takebe, Kazuo, Matsunaga, Muneo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Elsevier B.V 11.07.1994; Amsterdam Elsevier; New York, NY
• Subjects: Animals; Autoradiography; Biological and medical sciences; Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases; Glutamate receptor; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Neurologic Mutants; Motor neuron disease; Motor Neuron Disease - genetics; Motor Neuron Disease - metabolism; Motor Neuron Disease - pathology; Neurology; Receptors, AMPA - metabolism; Receptors, Glutamate - metabolism; Receptors, Kainic Acid - metabolism; Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate - metabolism; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate - metabolism; Spinal cord; Spinal Cord - metabolism; Spinal Cord - pathology; Wobbler mouse; Autoradiography; Spinal cord; Glutamate receptor; Wobbler mouse; Motor neuron disease; Animal model; Nervous system diseases; Rodentia; Central nervous system; Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Mouse; Animal; Degenerative disease; Spinal cord disease; Quantitative analysis
• ISSN: 0006-8993; 1872-6240
• DOI: 10.1016/0006-8993(94)91805-8

The reduction of glutamate content has been observed in the spinal cord of the wobbler mouse, a purported model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). To elucidate glutamate receptors in the wobbler spinal cord, we measured densities of N-methyl- d-aspartate (NMDA), kainate, α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA) and metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) binding sites using in vitro autoradiography. In wobbler mice, NMDA, kainate, and AMPA binding sites were increased in the dorsal horn and kainate binding sites were also increased in the intermediate zone. However, mGlu binding was unchanged. These results disagree with those observed in ALS spinal cords, in which NMDA and kinate binding sites are decreased. The wobbler mouse may have the glutamate dysfunction, but in a different way from ALS.