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Updated: Oct 1, 2026
Examination of Anatomical Features of Retinal Ganglion Cells Under N-methyl-D-aspartic Acid (NMDA)-induced Excitotoxicity
Published on: September 19, 2025
[The influencing actions of NMDA, MK801 and Ca(2+) on cultured retinal neuron cells]
Haiquan Liu1, Jian Ge, Zhikuan Yang
1Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China.
Objective:
To investigate the effects of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), MK801 (non-competitive blocking agent of NMDA receptor) and Ca(2+) on cultured retinal neurons and the interaction of these reagents.
Methods:
NMDA, MK801 and Ca(2+) were singly and jointly added to the retinal neurons after primary culture for 7 days which obtained from 1 - 3 day-old postnatal Sprague-Dawley rat. The cells were identified with anti-neurofilament protein (NF), Thy1.1 and anti-glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) monoclonal anti-body. The effects were assessed quantitatively using the trypan blue exclusion methods.
Results:
Neuronal death which induced by 200 micromol/L NMDA and 10 mmol/L Ca(2+) was significantly different from that of the control, 20 micromol/L MK801 had no significant effect on cultured retinal neurons, and did not protect the cell from neurotoxicity of Ca(2+), but could block the neurotoxicty of NMDA.
Conclusions:
NMDA and certain concentration of Ca(2+) are neurotoxic to retinal neurons in the primary cultured. MK801 can block the neurotoxicity of NMDA, but not the neurotoxicity of Ca(2+). Neuronal death induced by Ca(2+) may get through another mechanism.
