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- Title
NMDA Receptor Subunit Expression in Male and Female Rat Hippocampus following Voluntary Exercise.
- Authors
Kwasnica, Andrew
- Abstract
Voluntary exercise (VEx) can have robust structural and functional effects on the hippocampus, a region involved with learning and memory. Specifically, VEx can enhance neurogenesis, long-term potentiation (LTP), and differentially upregulate the expression of mRNA for specific subunits of the Nmethyl D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) in the dentate gyrus (DG; a subregion of the hippocampus) of male rats. Although previous studies have shown LTP and neurogenesis to differ between males and females, the effects of VEx on NMDAR subunit expression in the hippocampus has yet to be investigated in females. Juvenile (P22) male and female rats were group housed by sex in one of two housing conditions: VEx: unlimited access to a running wheel or sedentary (SED): no access to a running wheel. Between P30-35, hippocampi were isolated and subregions were rapidly dissected on ice and stored in a protease inhibiting cocktail at -80 Centigrade until assayed for NR2A, NR2B and NR1 subunits of the NMDA receptor by western blot. There was not a significant difference in the amount of running between males and females, and both males and females ran most during the dark phase of the light cycle. VEx did not increase protein levels of NR1 or NR2B levels in the DG of either males or females, but there was a trend toward more NR2A protein in the DG of both males and females following VEx. Interestingly, males have more NR2B protein than females, regardless of housing condition. These data indicate that both gender and housing conditions can have an effect on NMDAR subunit expression in the rat DG. Further investigations into the nature of the differences between the sexes is warranted, to determine if, for example, NMDARs differentially contribute to LTP and neurogenesis in males and females.
- Subjects
METHYL aspartate; LEARNING; MEMORY; EXERCISE physiology; HIPPOCAMPUS (Brain)
- Publication
UBC Medical Journal, 2011, Vol 2, Issue 2, p35
- ISSN
1920-7425
- Publication type
Abstract