Hindpaw inflammation induces tyrosine phosphorylation (tyr-P) of the NMDA receptor (NMDAR) 2B (NR2B) subunit in the rat spinal dorsal horn that is closely related to the initiation and development of hyperalgesia. Here, we show that in rats with Freund's adjuvant-induced inflammation, the increased dorsal horn NR2B tyr-P is blocked by group I metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) antagonists ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE We characterized the differential effect of the NR2B subunit antagonist ifenprodil in the induction of activity-dependent long-term potentiation (LTP) and of postischemic LTP as well as in the neuronal damage induced by focal ischemia. METHODS Intracellular recordings were obtained from rat corticostriatal slice preparations. High-frequency stimulation of corticostriata...

At excitatory synapses, both NMDA and AMPA receptors are localized to the postsynaptic density (PSD). However, unlike AMPA receptors, synaptic NMDA receptors are stable components of the PSD. Even so, surface-expressed NMDA receptors undergo endocytosis, which is more robust early in development and declines during synaptic development. We investigated the subunit-specific contributions to NMDA...

Cocaine-induced plasticity of glutamatergic synaptic transmission in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) plays an important role in brain adaptations that promote addictive behaviors. However, the mechanisms responsible for triggering these synaptic changes are unknown. Here, we examined the effects of acute cocaine application on glutamatergic synaptic transmission in rat midbrain slices. Cocaine...

The present study examined the levels of NMDA receptor NR2 subunit tyrosine phosphorylation in a rat model of inflammation and correlated it with the development of inflammation and hyperalgesia. Hindpaw inflammation and hyperalgesia were induced by intraplantar injection of complete Freund's adjuvant. Proteins from the spinal cord (L4-L5) were immunoprecipitated with anti-NR2A or anti-NR2B ant...

Both serine/threonine and tyrosine phosphorylation of receptor proteins have been implicated in the process of long-term potentiation (LTP), but there has been no direct demonstration of a change in receptor phosphorylation after LTP induction. We show that, after induction of LTP in the dentate gyrus of anesthetized adult rats, there is an increase in the tyrosine phosphorylation of the 2B sub...

Cortical spreading depression (CSD) is a transient synaptic excitation, followed by depression, which can propagate slowly across cortex, subcortex and retina. CSD is implicated in migraine with aura and may lead to migraine pain. CSD can be suppressed by inhibition of both NR2A and NR2B containing N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptors. However, whether there is a synergistic effect of co-i...

The specific composition of NMDA receptor subunits is thought to underlie the developmental plasticity of the cortex revealed by unbalanced binocular stimulation. However, evidence that NR2 subunits change in correlation with the critical period at locations that are relevant to visual plasticity has been missing. Using preembedding and postembedding immunostaining, as well as electron microsco...

Purpose. Experimental manipulation of experience during development can have profound effects on the functioning of the resulting circuits. N-methyl-d-aspartate glutamate receptor (NMDAR) activity is required for the establishment and refinement of neural circuits during development. In the present study, the authors addressed the issue of experience-dependent regulation of NMDARs by examining ...

Early in development, neurons only express NR1/NR2B-containing N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. Later, NR2A subunits are upregulated during a period of rapid synapse formation. This pattern is often interpreted to indicate that NR2A-containing receptors are synaptic and that NR2B-containing receptors are extrasynaptic. We re-examined this issue using whole cell recordings in cultured hipp...