Blockade of metabotropic glutamate receptors protects hippocampal neurons from hypoxia-induced cell death in rat in vivo

Abstract

1. 1. In this pilot study the authors examined the role of hippocampal metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) in hypoxia in vivo by determining frank neuronal cell death histologically 4 days after the first of three daily insults. 2. 2. Adult male, Wistar rats, chronically prepared with cannulae, were intraventricularly injected with either saline or the metabotropic receptor antagonists L-AP3 (0.102 mg) or MCPG (0.208 mg) 30 min prior to hypoxic insult. 3. 3. Histological analysis of hippocampal regions revealed attenuated neuronal cell loss in CA 1 and CA3 in both L-AP3 and MCPG-treated animals. 4. 4. These data suggest a participation of mGluRs in hypoxia-induced neuronal cell death.