Developmental Regulation and Lateralisation of the Α7 and Α4 Subunits of Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors in Developing Rat Hippocampus Publisher Pubmed



Baradaran R¹ ; Khoshdelsarkarizi H¹ ; Kargozar S² ; Hami J³ ; Mohammadipour A¹ ; Sadrnabavi A^{4, 5} ; Peyvandi Karizbodagh M¹ ; Kheradmand H⁶ ; Haghir H^{1, 5} Show Affiliations
Source: International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience Published:2020

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to describe the distinct regional distribution patterns of expression of the α7 and α4 subunits of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) and their left-right lateralisation in the rat hippocampus during the first 2 weeks of postnatal (P) development. Eighteen male pups were randomly divided into three groups: P0, P7, and P14. After removing the newborn brains, real-time polymerase chain reaction, western blot, and immunohistochemistry techniques were used to evaluate expression of the receptors. Results indicated that the expression profile of these receptors were time- and spatially dependent. A significant increase was observed in the distribution of α7 and α4 nAChR subunits in the developing rat hippocampus from P0 to P7 (p <.001); however, there was a significant decrease from P7 to P14 (p <.05). As a spatial effect, the highest optical density (OD) was observed in the CA3 and CA2 regions of the hippocampus, while the lowest OD was in the dentate gyrus. Moreover, the distribution of α7 and α4 nAChR subunits in the left hippocampus was significantly higher than their counterparts in the right (p <.05). From these data, the expression patterns of α7 and α4 nAChR subunits exhibited left-right asymmetry in the developing rat hippocampus. © 2020 International Society for Developmental Neuroscience