ArticlePloS one2010
Characterisation of the expression of NMDA receptors in human astrocytes.
Article in PloS one, 2010. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 90 papers.
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Who cites it
90 citing papers in PubMed, 181 citations in OpenAlex.
- A JNK-Regulated and IL-1β-Dependent Astrocyte-Neuron Signaling Pathway in the Spinal Dorsal Horn is Essential for Stress-Induced Hyperalgesia.Neural plasticity · 2026Article
- Calcium Signaling in Astrocytes and Its Role in the Central Nervous System Injury.Molecular neurobiology · 2025Review
- Long-Term Treatment with Fluoroethylnormemantine (FENM) Alleviated Memory Deficits, Amyloid Pathology, and Microglial Reaction in APP/PS1 Mice.ACS pharmacology & translational science · 2024Article
- ACognitive neurodynamics · 2024Article
- NMDARs in Alzheimer's Disease: Between Synaptic and Extrasynaptic Membranes.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Review
- Astrocytes Regulate Neuronal Network Burst Frequency Through NMDA Receptors in a Species- and Donor-Specific Manner.Biological psychiatry global open science · 2024Article
- Anoxia-induced hippocampal LTP is regeneratively produced by glutamate and nitric oxide from the neuro-glial-endothelial axis.iScience · 2024Article
- Gene Expression at the Tripartite Synapse: Bridging the Gap Between Neurons and Astrocytes.Advances in neurobiology · 2024Review
- Therapeutic potential of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor modulators in psychiatry.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2024Review
- Synaptogenesis by Cholinergic Stimulation of Astrocytes.Neurochemical research · 2023Article
- Astrocytes as Neuroimmunocytes in Alzheimer's Disease: A Biochemical Tool in the Neuron-Glia Crosstalk along the Pathogenetic Pathways.International journal of molecular sciences · 2023Review
- The neuroprotective N-terminal amyloid-β core hexapeptide reverses reactive gliosis and gliotoxicity in Alzheimer's disease pathology models.Journal of neuroinflammation · 2023Article
- Synaptogenesis by Cholinergic Stimulation of Astrocytes.Research square · 2023Article
- Review
- The Late Stage of Abnormal Aging: Dementia.Advances in experimental medicine and biology · 2023Article
- Progresses in GluN2A-containing NMDA Receptors and their Selective Regulators.Cellular and molecular neurobiology · 2023Review
- Astrocytes derived from neural progenitor cells are susceptible to Zika virus infection.PloS one · 2023Article
- Astrocytes as a Therapeutic Target in Alzheimer's Disease-Comprehensive Review and Recent Developments.International journal of molecular sciences · 2022Review
- Targeting NMDA Receptors at the Neurovascular Unit: Past and Future Treatments for Central Nervous System Diseases.International journal of molecular sciences · 2022Review
- Bioactive human Alzheimer brain soluble Aβ: pathophysiology and therapeutic opportunities.Molecular psychiatry · 2022Review
30 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Astrocytes have long been perceived only as structural and supporting cells within the central nervous system (CNS). However, the discovery that these glial cells may potentially express receptors capable of responding to endogenous neurotransmitters has resulted in the need to reassess astrocytic physiology. The aim of the current study was to characterise the expression of NMDA receptors (NMDARs) in primary human astrocytes, and investigate their response to physiological and excitotoxic concentrations of the known endogenous NMDAR agonists, glutamate and quinolinic acid (QUIN). Primary cultures of human astrocytes were used to examine expression of these receptors at the mRNA level using RT-PCR and qPCR, and at the protein level using immunocytochemistry. The functionality role of the receptors was assessed using intracellular calcium influx experiments and measuring extracellular lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity in primary cultures of human astrocytes treated with glutamate and QUIN. We found that all seven currently known NMDAR subunits (NR1, NR2A, NR2B, NR2C, NR2D, NR3A and NR3B) are expressed in astrocytes, but at different levels. Calcium influx studies revealed that both glutamate and QUIN could activate astrocytic NMDARs, which stimulates Ca2+ influx into the cell and can result in dysfunction and death of astrocytes. Our data also show that the NMDAR ion channel blockers, MK801, and memantine can attenuate glutamate and QUIN mediated cell excitotoxicity. This suggests that the mechanism of glutamate and QUIN gliotoxicity is at least partially mediated by excessive stimulation of NMDARs. The present study is the first to provide definitive evidence for the existence of functional NMDAR expression in human primary astrocytes. This discovery has significant implications for redefining the cellular interaction between glia and neurons in both physiological processes and pathological conditions.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.