Expressions of NMDA receptor subunits NR2B and NR2A and their relationship with apoptosis in the hippocampus of Alzheimer′s disease-like rats

Objective:To explore expressions of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunits 2B(NR2B) and 2A(NR2A) and their relationship with apoptosis in the hippocampus of Alzheimer′s disease(AD)-like rats.Methods:The AD-like rat model was established by intracerebroventricularly injecting Aβ1-40 and intraperitoneally injecting AlCl3.Expressions of NR2B and NR2A in the AD-like rat hippocampus were detected by immunohistochemistry,and the apoptosis in the AD-like rat hippocampus was detected by TUNEL staining.Then the relationship was further explored between them.Results:Expression of NR2B was significantly increased in the AD-like rat hippocampus(P﹤0.05),especially in the CA1 subfield.Expression of NR2A had no significant change in the AD-like rat hippocampus(P0.05).Apoptotic cells were significantly increased in the AD-like rat hippocampus(P﹤0.05),especially in the CA1 subfield,followed by the dentate gyrus and the CA3 subfield.Conclusion:NR2B,not NR2A,has pathological high expression in the AD-like rat hippocampus.This pathological high expression may have a specific relationship with AD-like apoptosis and the selective vulnerable phenomenon of the rat hippocampus.