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Full-Text Articles in Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience
Nicotine Sensitization In Β-Arrestin 2 Knockout Adolescent Mice., Jennifer A. Correll
Nicotine Sensitization In Β-Arrestin 2 Knockout Adolescent Mice., Jennifer A. Correll
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
ß arrestin-2 is a protein involved in signaling of D2 receptors and plays a mediating role in sensitization to psychostimulants and the opiate morphine. In this study, 3-4 week old BA-2 KO and wild type C57/B6 mice received nicotine tartarate (s.c, 0.5 mg/kg free base) for 7 or 14 consecutive days followed by a drug-free period. An acute nicotine challenge followed the drugfree period. Results indicated that the absence of ß-arrestin-2 reduced sensitization to nicotine in Experiment 1. BA-2 KOs eventually demonstrated sensitization in Experiment 2. However, absence of ß-arrestin-2 blocked expression of sensitization on the challenge. After the challenge, …
Glutamate Excitotoxicity In Epilepsy And Ischemia, Mangala Meenakshi Soundarapandian
Glutamate Excitotoxicity In Epilepsy And Ischemia, Mangala Meenakshi Soundarapandian
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
'Excitotoxicity' represents the excitatory amino acid mediated degeneration of neurons. Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain. Glutamate excitotoxicity has been implicated in a number of neurodegenerative disorders like Stroke, Epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease and traumatic brain injury. This neurotoxicity is summed up by the 'glutamate hypothesis' which describes the cause of neuronal cell death as an excessive release of glutamate causing over excitation of the glutamate receptors and subsequent increase in influx of calcium leading to cell death. An effort to counteract this neurotoxicity has lead to the development of glutamate receptor antagonists that can effectively serve as …