Expression of N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor subunits in the rat parabrachial and Kölliker‐Fuse nuclei and in selected pontomedullary brainstem nuclei

Abstract

In the present study, we investigated the expression of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor subunits in the parabrachial/Kölliker-Fuse complex (PB/KF), the intertrigeminal region, the ventrolateral pons, the nucleus of the solitary tract, the ventrolateral medulla with the ambiguus nucleus, and the caudal spinal trigeminal nucleus, which are presumably involved in mediating the autonomic responses to nasotrigeminal stimulation (diving response). Our immunocytochemical data demonstrate that the majority of neurons in the respective nuclei stain for the NR1 subunit, which is a mandatory component of all NMDA receptors. NR1 immunoreactivity was found mainly on neuronal cell bodies and primary dendrites. The ubiquitous expression of the NR1 subunit was confirmed by in situ hybridization, revealing a strong NR1 mRNA signal over neurons in all nuclei investigated. Among the NR2A–D subunits, the strongest expression was observed for the NR2D transcript, both in the PB/KF and in the brainstem. For the PB/KF, we found in addition a moderate expression of NR2A mRNA in the internal lateral PB and of NR2B mRNA in the external lateral PB. The remaining PB nuclei and the KF were essentially devoid of NR2A–C transcripts. For the nucleus of the solitary tract and in the spinal trigeminal nucleus, we found, in addition to the strong NR2D mRNA signal, moderate expression of the NR2A–C transcripts. In the ventrolateral medulla, a moderate signal was seen for NR2C transcript, whereas signals for the NR2A and -B subunits were negligible. Our data suggest that, in PB/KF and pontomedullary brainstem nuclei involved in mediating the diving response, glutamatergic neurotransmission is apparently mediated through a specific type of NMDA receptor channels, consisting essentially of NR1 and NR2D subunits. J. Comp. Neurol. 415:501–517, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.