Excitatory amino acid binding sites in the rat hippocampus after transient forebrain ischemia

The influence of transient forebrain ischemia on the temporal alteration of glutamate receptors in the hippocampal formation was analyzed by means of in vitro quantitative receptor autoradiography. We compared the binding of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors using [3H]3-[+/-)2-carboxypiperazin-4-yl)-propyl-1-phosphonic acid (CPP), noncompetitive NMDA antagonist binding sites using [3H]N-(1-(2-thienyl)-cyclohexyl)-3,4-piperidine (TCP), and kainate (KA) receptors. In the CA1 subfield of the hippocampus, the number of NMDA receptors and noncompetitive NMDA antagonist binding sites remained constant during the early stage of recirculation when the CA1 pyramidal cells remained histologically intact. A significant reduction of these receptor densities was observed 7 days following ischemia, when NMDA receptors and noncompetitive NMDA antagonist binding sites lost 64 and 29% of their binding sites in the stratum radiatum of the CA1, respectively. The KA receptor density in the CA1 subfield decreased by 44% 7 days after ischemia. Marked loss of the above-mentioned receptors in the CA1 after selective depletion of the CA1 pyramidal cells indicated that NMDA receptors, noncompetitive NMDA antagonist binding sites, and KA receptors in the CA1 are predominantly localized on the CA1 pyramidal cells. NMDA receptor density in the CA3 gradually decreased during the recirculation period. The stratum moleculare of the dentate gyrus, whose structure was histologically intact after ischemic insult, also showed a reduction of NMDA receptors 7 days following ischemia. [3H]KA receptor density in the stratum lucidum of the CA3 and in the hilus also decreased during recirculation. These