Excitatory amino acid receptors and ischemic brain damage in the rat

The excitatory amino acid glutamate has been suggested to be an important mediator of the selective CA₁ hippocampal damage which follows transient cerebral ischemia. In order to evaluate the possible involvement of altered glutamate receptor regulation in the expression of the delayed neuronal necrosis following ischemia, we have determined the density of glutamate receptor subtypes in the rat hippocampus following transient ischemia. We report a transient reversible decrease in [³H]AMPA (α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid) binding sites (presumably representing quisqualate receptors) followed by a long term loss of binding at 2 days postischemia which precedes neuronal loss. In contrast, no change was noted in the N-methyl-d-aspartate or kainic acid binding sites over this time period.