A metabotropic glutamate receptor antagonist, alpha-methyl-4-carboxyphenylglycine, attenuates immediate early gene mRNA expression following traumatic injury in cultured rat cortical glial cells

The effects of three glutamate receptor antagonists, (5R,10S)-(+)-5-methyl- 10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[a,d]-cyclohepten-5,10-imine hydrogen maleate (MK-8 01) for the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6-nitro-2,3-d ioxobenzo[f] quinoxaline-7-sulfonamide (NBOX) for the alpha -amino-3-hydrox y-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate /kinate receptor and (S)-alpha -methyl-4- carboxyphenylglycine (MCPG) for the metabotropic receptor, on c-fos and c-j un mRNA expression were investigated in cultured cortical glial cells follo wing traumatic scratch injury. Expression of the two genes along the edges of wounds detected by in situ hybridization was not affected by MK-801 and NBQX. However, 100 and 500 muM of MCPG remarkably reduced the hybridization signals for both c-fos and c-jun mRNAs. The present results suggest that g roup I metabotropic glutamate receptors might have some association with im mediate early gene induction after in vitro traumatic injury in glial cells . (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.