We have examined the role of NMDA receptor-mediated neural activity in the formation of periphery-related somatosensory patterns, using genetically engineered mice. We demonstrate that ectopic expression of a transgene of an NMDAR1 splice variant rescues neonatally fatal NMDAR1 knockout (KO) mice, although the average life span varies depending on the level of the transgene expression. In NMDAR...

The role of Fos-like transcription factors in neuronal and behavioral plasticity has remained elusive. Here we demonstrate that a Fos family member protein plays physiological roles in the neuronal, electrophysiological, and behavioral plasticity associated with repeated seizures. Repeated electroconvulsive seizures (ECS) induced isoforms of DeltaFosB in frontal cortex, an effect that was assoc...

Sensory abnormalities in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome type 1 (CRPS 1) have been associated with changes in dorsal horn N-Methyl-D-Aspartate (NMDA) receptor activity resulting in central sensitization. However, little is known about changes in NMDA receptor expression in peripheral tissue for this syndrome. The goal of the present study was to evaluate peripheral NMDA receptor expression to ad...

Methamphetamine (METH) is a psychostimulant drug of abuse that produces long-term behavioral changes including behavioral sensitization, tolerance, and dependence. METH has been reported to induce neurotoxic effects in several areas of the brain via the dopaminergic system. Changes of dopamine function can induce malfunction of the glutamatergic system. Therefore, the aim of the present study w...

The density and distribution of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR1) mRNA expression in the rat midbrain Periaqueductal gray (PAG) following exposure to unilateral peripheral inflammation or chronic constrictive injury (CCI) as models for chronic peripheral nociception were examined using the in situ hybridization technique. The NMDAR1 hybridization signal intensities increased significantly ...

We investigated the neuroprotective efficacy of hypothermia after status epilepticus (SE) in immature rats. In addition, the expression levels of NMDAR1 and c-Jun were measured to establish a possible signaling mechanism for hypothermia-induced neuroprotection. Pilocarpine-treated rats were randomly divided into 2 groups: group D (diazepam) and group DH (diazepam plus hypothermia). Compared to ...

N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors are commonly found post-synaptically; they mediate fast excitatory neurotransmission in the central nervous system. In this study, we provide immunocytochemical data supporting the existence of presynaptic NMDA receptors in GABAergic terminals using polyclonal antisera raised against the C-terminus of the NMDAR1 subunit. At the light microscope level, rich ...

To develop effective gene therapy techniques that target populations of neurons in the spinal cord, suitable vectors must be developed that will undergo efficient, retrograde transport from an appropriate peripheral site and will not be cytotoxic. Our previous work (LeVatte et al, 1998a) has demonstrated that a replication defective herpes simplex virus vector 14Hdelta3vhsZ, that has been subst...

BACKGROUND We investigated the influence of morphine and ketamine or clonidine in mice on the expression of genes that may mediate pronociceptive opioid effects. MATERIAL AND METHODS C57BL/6 mice received morphine injections thrice daily using increasing doses (5-20 mg∙kg(-1)) for 3 days (sub-acute, n=6) or 14 days (chronic, n=6) and additionally either s-ketamine (5 mg∙kg(-1), n=6) or clonid...

PURPOSE Although much has been written about the role of the NMDA receptor's role in experience dependent visual plasticity, the function of the NMDAR1 receptor subunit in the post-plasticity stage of development is still not well understood. However, in the well studied model of strabismic amblyopia where binocularity is reduced, but where most primary visual cortex neurons can be driven by on...