Sex differences in NMDA receptor expression in human alcoholics.

ABSTRACT:

Aim

The aim of this study was to assess whether chronic alcohol misuse affects N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor subunit concentrations in human cases, and whether male and female subjects respond differently.

Methods

Real-time RT-PCR normalized to GAPDH was used to assay NR1, NR2A and NR2B subunit mRNA in superior frontal (SFC) and primary motor (PMC) cortex tissue obtained at autopsy from chronic alcoholics with and without comorbid cirrhosis of the liver, and from matched controls.

Results

The expression of all three subunits was significantly lower in both areas of cirrhotic alcoholics than in either controls or alcoholics without comorbid disease, who did not differ significantly. Values were also influenced by the subject's sex and genotype. The mu-opiate rec

SUBMITTER: Ridge JP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2781764 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Nov-Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature