A non-ionotropic activity of NMDA receptors contributes to glycine-induced neuroprotection in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.

ABSTRACT: NMDA receptor (NMDAR) is known for its ionotropic function. But recent evidence suggests that NMDAR also has a non-ionotropic property. To determine the role of non-ionotropic activity of NMDARs in clinical relevant conditions, we tested the effect of glycine, a co-agonist of NMDARs, in rat middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), an animal model of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury after the animals were injected with the NMDAR channel blocker MK-801 and the glycine receptor antagonist strychnine. We show that glycine reduces the infarct volume in the brain of ischemic stroke animals pre-injected with MK-801 and strychnine. The effect of glycine is sensitive to the antagonist of glycine-GluN1 binding site and blocked by Akt inhibition. In the neurobehavioral tests, glycine improves the

SUBMITTER: Chen J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5472592 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature