Differential expression of metabotropic glutamate receptors 2 and 3 in schizophrenia: a mechanism for antipsychotic drug action?

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Preclinical and clinical data implicate the group II metabotropic glutamate receptors mGluR2 and mGluR3 in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Moreover, a recent phase II clinical trial demonstrated the antipsychotic efficacy of a mGluR2/mGluR3 agonist. The purpose of the present study was to distinguish the expression of mGluR2 and mGluR3 receptor proteins in schizophrenia and to quantify glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCP II) in order to explore a role for the metabotropic receptors in schizophrenia therapeutics. GCP II is an enzyme that metabolizes N-acetyl-aspartyl-glutamate (NAAG), which is the only known specific endogenous agonist of mGluR3 in the mammalian brain.

Method

The normal expression levels of mGluR2, mGluR3, and GCP II were determined for 10 regi

SUBMITTER: Ghose S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2860261 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature