Excitotoxic neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease

TL;DRAbstract

Initial analysis of the expression profile of two NMDAR1 mRNA isoform subsets, NR1oxx and NR11xx, in discrete regions of human cerebral cortex was performed. The subsets are characterized by the absence or presence of a 21-amino acid N-terminal cassette. RT-PCR for NR1 isoforms was performed on total RNA preparations from spared and susceptible regions from pathologically confirmed Alzheimer disease (AD) cases and matched Controls. NR11xx transcript expression was calculated as a proportion of the NR11xx + NR10xx total. Values were significantly lower in AD cases than in Controls in mid-cingulate cortex, P < 0.01, superior temporal cortex, P < 0.01, and hippocampus, P ≈ 0.05. Cortical proportionate NR11xx transcript expression was invariant over the range of ages and areas of Controls tested, at ~50%. This was also true for AD motor and occipital cortices. Proportionate NR11xx expression in AD cingulate and temporal cortex was lower at younger ages and increased with age: this regressi

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