Repetitive spreading depression induces nestin protein expression in the cortex of rats and mice. Is this upregulation initiated by N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors?

• Main Authors: Obrenovitch, Tihomir P., Chazot, P.L., Godukhin, O.V.
• Language: en
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: Neuroglia; Central nervous system; Brain vertebrata; Mammalia; Rodentia; Rat; Mouse; Gene expression; Astrocyte; NMDA receptor; Cerebral cortex; Spreading depression
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10454/3115

No === In the November issue (2001) of Neuroscience Letters, Holmin et al. (Neurosci. Lett. 314 (2001) 151) reported that the synthesis of the intermediate filament protein nestin was upregulated by potassium-induced depolarization in the rat cortex. In this letter, we provide supplementary evidence that repeated cortical spreading depression elicited by potassium induces a delayed upregulation of nestin. However, we argue against the authors' conclusion, Nestin expression was N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-receptor dependent since dizocilpine (MK-801) treatment abolished the response because spreading depression itself is very sensitive to NMDA-receptor block, and the drug treatment was initiated prior to potassium application to the cortex in Holmin et al.'s study.