Neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) diminishes susceptibility of the oligodendroglial lineage to AMPA glutamate receptor-mediated excitotoxicity

Prior reports demonstrated that cells of the oligodendroglial lineage are s usceptible to excitotoxic necrosis mediated by alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-meth ylisoxazole-4-propionic acid glutamate receptors (AMPA-GluR), and also show ed that these cells express the high affinity neurotrophin receptors, TrkC and TrkA. We now report that: a) oligodendroglial progenitors (OP) and imma ture oligodendroglia ave more vulnerable to AMPA-GluR-mediated excitotoxici ty than are mature oligodendroglia; b) TrkC expression falls substantially during differentiation of cultured OP to mature oligodendroglia, whereas Tr kA expression increases markedly; and c) neurotrophin-3, and to a lesser ex tent, nerve growth factor, protect the oligodendroglial lineage against AMP A-GluR-mediated excitotoxicity. J. Neurosci. Res. 60:725-732, 2000. (C) 200 0 Wiley-Liss, Inc.