W. Paschen et al., RNA EDITING OF GLUTAMATE-RECEPTOR SUBUNITS GLUR2, GLUR5, AND GLUR6 INTRANSIENT CEREBRAL-ISCHEMIA IN THE RAT, Journal of cerebral blood flow and metabolism, 16(4), 1996, pp. 548-556
The mechanisms of ischemic cell damage are still not fully understood.
It has been shown that ha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-isoxazole-4-propio
nate (AMPA)/kainate receptor antagonists, such as nitro-7-sulphamoyl-b
enzo-(f)-quinoxaline-2,3-dione (NBQX), an neuroprotective in models of
transient forebrain ischemia, even when applied during recovery, indi
cating that nonNMDA receptors may play a pivotal role in ischemic cell
damage. In the present series of experiments, we studied whether tran
sient cerebral ischemia causes changes in the extent of mRNA editing o
f AMPA/kainate receptor subunits, a reaction critical for the control
of calcium flux through nonNMDA receptor ion channels. Transient cereb
ral ischemia was produced in rats using the four-vessel occlusion (4-V
O) model. After 30 min of ischemia, brains were recirculated for 4, 8,
or 24 h. Total RNA was extracted from the cortex, striatum, and hippo
campus in order to analyze the extent of mRNA editing of the glutamate
receptor subunits GluR2, GluR5, and GluR6. RNA was converted by rever
se transcription into cDNA, which was used as a template for subunit-s
pecific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify a product across th
e edited base A (A edited to I in the second transmembrane-spanning re
gions of GluR2, GluR5, and GluR6). PCR products were analyzed with the
restriction enzyme Bbv 1, which recognizes the cDNA sequence GCAGC or
iginating from unedited but not that originating from edited GluR2, Gl
uR5, or GluR6 mRNA (GCGGC, the base I is read as G). Restriction diges
ts were electrophoresed, and the bands visualized with ethidium bromid
e and then photographed. The extent of mRNA editing of the different s
ubunits was quantified using image analysis and appropriate standards.
In all control brains studied, GluR2 mRNA was completely edited and r
emained so after reversible cerebral ischemia. The extent of GluR5 mRN
A editing was significantly upregulated in the striatum (from 39 +/- 6
% in controls to 57 +/- 9 and 56 +/- 7 after 4 and 8 h of recovery, re
spectively, p < 0.05 versus control) but not in the cortex and hippoca
mpus. The extent of GluR6 mRNA editing was significantly reduced after
24 h of recovery: in the cortex, from 92 +/- 1 to 78 +/- 6% (p < 0.01
) in the striatum, from 91 +/- 2 to 79 +/- 1% (p < 0.001); and in the
hippocampus, from 90 +/- 3 to 80 +/- 2% (p < 0.05). A significant redu
ction was already apparent in the striatum after 4 h of recovery (p <
0.05). Results indicate that mRNA editing is regulated differently in
each of the glutamate receptor subunits GluR2, GluR5, and GluR6 after
transient cerebral ischemia. The ischemia-induced upregulation of GluR
5 mRNA editing observed in the striatum may be indicative of a higher
sensitivity to transient ischemia of neurons that exhibit a large frac
tion of unedited GluR5 mRNA. This assumption is corroborated by the ob
servation (Mackler and Eberwine, 1993) that GluR5 mRNA is completely u
nedited in neurons of the hippocampal CA1-subfield, a region most vuln
erable to transient cerebral ischemia. Whether the decrease in GluR6 m
RNA editing observed in all brain structures after ischemia results fr
om a disturbance of the editing reaction or from glial proliferation w
ill have to be established in further experiments. Studying ischemia-i
nduced changes in mRNA editing of glutamate receptor subunits GluR5 an
d GluR6 may help to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of ischemic cel
l damage.