Effects of quercetin on human α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor-mediated ion currents

Quercetin is a low molecular weight flavonoid found in dietary fruits and vegetables. Quercetin, like other flavonoids, has demonstrated neuroprotective effects in vitro and in vivo. However, relatively little is known about how quercetin achieves its neuroprotective abilities. The alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor is one of several excitatory receptors, which play an important role in postsynaptic neurotransmission. Over-stimulation of ionotropic glutamate receptor including AMPA receptors is closely associated with excitatory neurotoxicities. In the present study, we investigated the effects of quercetin on the glutamate-induced inward current (IGlu) in Xenopus oocytes that heterologously express human AMPA receptor and stargazin, an auxiliary subunit of AMPA receptor. IGlu was measured using the two-electrode voltage clamp technique. In oocytes injected with cRNAs coding AMPA receptor (GluR1) and stargazin, quercetin inhibited IGlu in a reversible and concentration-dependent manner. The IC50 was 84.9+/-15.0 microM. Quercetin action on IGlu was attenuated by increasing glutamate concentration, and was membrane holding potential-dependent. These results show a possibility that quercetin interacts with AMPA receptor, which was heterologously expressed in Xenopus oocytes and that quercetin action on IGlu of AMPA receptor could be one of contributions of quercetin-mediated neuroprotections.