Effect of Glutamate Receptor Antagonists on Expression of pERK1/2 and cFos Proteins in Rat Vestibular Nuclei Following Acute Arterial Hypotension

J Korean Bal Soc > Volume 2(2); 2003 > Article

Practical Review

Journal of the Korean Balance Society 2003;2(2): 287-287.

Dong Ok Choi*

Effect of Glutamate Receptor Antagonists on Expression of pERK1/2 and cFos Proteins in Rat Vestibular Nuclei Following Acute Arterial Hypotension

Dong Ok Choi*, Myoung Ae Choi, Min Sun Kim, Kwang Yong Kim, Moon Young Lee, Byung Rim Park

Department of Physiology, Wonkwang University School of Medicine and Vestibulocochlear Research Center at Wonkwang University, Iksan 570-749

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to evaluate effect of MK801 or CNQX, glutamate receptor antagonist, on expression of pERK1/2 and cFos proteins induced by acute hypotension in the medial vestibular nucleus (MVN) of Sprague-Dawley rats. Acute hemorrhage with 4 ml loss of blood resulted in significant synthesis of pERK1/2 or cFos-like protein in the MVN in which the immunoreactivity for these proteins was much higher in the caudal MVN in rostral aspect. Single treatment of MK801, a NMDA receptor antagonist, resulted in complete suppression of pERK1/2 protein and cFos-like immunoreactive neurons in the MVN following acute hypotension. Furthermore, intraperitoneal injection of MK801 resulted in a marked reduction of transcriptional level of mitogen kinase phosphatse-1 mRNA that was increased in the vestibular nuclei 30 min after acute hemorrhage. Effect of systemic treatment of CNQX, a non-NMDA receptor antagonist was a similar with that of MK801 for expression of pERK1/2 protein, cFos protein and MKP-1 mRNA in the MVN following acute hypotension. These results suggest that glutamate receptors take part in activity-dependent expression of pERK1/2 and cFos proteins in the vestibular nuclear neurons following acute hypotension.(Supported by a grant of the Korea Health 21 R&D Project, Ministry of Health & Welfare(02-PJ1-PG3-21302-0010).