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Immunoreactivity for the NR1 subunit of the NMDA receptor occurs in spinally‐projecting catecholamine and serotonin neurons of the rat ventral medulla
Author(s) -
Llewellyn-Smith Ida J,
Mueller Patrick J
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.26.1_supplement.1091.18
Subject(s) - medulla , nmda receptor , rostral ventrolateral medulla , biology , neuroscience , tyrosine hydroxylase , serotonin , raphe , receptor , central nervous system , medulla oblongata , endocrinology , dopamine , serotonergic , biochemistry
Bulbospinal neurons in the ventral medulla play important roles in sympathetic nervous regulation. Current evidence suggests that these neurons are activated by NMDA and non‐NMDA subtypes of glutamate receptors. In this study, we examined bulbospinal neurons for the NR1 subunit of the NMDA receptor. Rats received bilateral injections of cholera toxin B (CTB) into spinal segment T9 to label bulbospinal neurons. Triple immunofluorescence was used to detect CTB (blue, AMCA), NR1 (red, Cy3) and either tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) or tryptophan hydroxylase (TpTH) (green, FITC). In the rostral ventrolateral medulla, NR1 occurred in both CTB+/TH+ neurons and CTB+ neurons. CTB+/TpTH+ neurons in raphé pallidus and the parapyramidal region also contained NR1. In addition, NR1 was present in occasional CTB+ neurons in raphé pallidus. These results show that the obligatory subunit of the NMDA receptor is expressed by spinally‐projecting C1 and non‐C1 neurons as well as spinally‐projecting serotonin neurons in raphé pallidus and the parapyramidal region. These receptors likely mediate at least some of the neuronal excitation in these regions in normal and pathological conditions. (R01‐ HL096787 , NHMRC #480414).