Abnormal kainic acid receptor density and reduced seizure susceptibility in dystrophin-deficient mdx mice

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is characterized by a defect in dystrophin, which often causes mental retardation in addition to progressive muscular weakness. As dystrophin is localized in synaptic regions of the CNS, cognitive abnormalities associated with Duchenne muscular dystrophy are attributable to synaptic dysfunction. We report that dystrophin-deficient mdx mice were more resistant to kainic acid-induced seizures but not to GABA antagonist-induced seizures compared with the control mice. The kainic-acid receptor density in the brain was significantly lower in the mdx than in the control, although the density of muscarinic cholinergic receptors, another important neurotransmitter receptor for cognitive function, was normal. Moreover, mdx had significantly lower Timm staining intensity in the mossy fibers, which originate from the dentate granule cells and terminate on the pyramidal cells in the CA3 of the hippocampus. These results suggest that an instability of neurotransmitter receptors, such as kainate-type glutamate receptors, on synaptic membranes due to the disruption of dystrophin complex induces inefficient neurotransmission in Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients.