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Melatonin increases NMDA receptor subunits 2A and 2B concentrations in rat hippocampus

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Abstract

We investigated that the effects of melatonin on N-methyl-d-aspartat receptor (NMDAR) subunits 2A and 2B concentrations and on markers of oxidative stress in hippocampus of rats treated with melatonin for 4 weeks. Animals were divided into four groups according to their melatonin doses (control group (C), n = 7; 5 mg/kg group (M5), n = 7; 10 mg/kg group (M10), n = 8; 20 mg/kg group (M20), n = 8) and received the melatonin as intraperitoneal injection. After 4 weeks of treatment, electrophoretic examination was done using sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrilamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and Western blotting in hippocampal homogenates of different groups. Malondialdehyde (MDA), an end product of lipid peroxidation, was assayed in all groups. There were significant increases in both NMDAR 2A; 5 mg/kg group (n = 3, p < 0.05), 10 mg/kg group (n = 3, p < 0.05), 20 mg/kg group (n = 3, p < 0.05) and NMDAR 2B expressions; 5 mg group (n = 3, p < 0.05), 10 mg group (n = 3, p < 0.05), 20 mg group (n = 3, p < 0.05), compared to the control group. No significant difference in MDA concentrations was found between groups. The present study clearly demonstrates that melatonin alters hippocampal NMDAR subunit concentrations in a dose-dependent manner without causing lipid peroxidation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey

    Recep Sutcu, Zafer Yonden & Namik Delibas

  2. Institute of Health Sciences, Isparta, Turkey

    Aysegul Yilmaz

  3. SDU Arastirma ve Uygulama Hastanesi, Klinik Biyokimya Lab, 32260, Isparta, Turkey

    Recep Sutcu

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  1. Recep Sutcu
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  2. Zafer Yonden
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  4. Namik Delibas
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Correspondence to Recep Sutcu.

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Sutcu, R., Yonden, Z., Yilmaz, A. et al. Melatonin increases NMDA receptor subunits 2A and 2B concentrations in rat hippocampus. Mol Cell Biochem 283, 101–105 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11010-006-2385-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11010-006-2385-4

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