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Role of the purinergic P2Y2 receptor in hippocampal function in mice
A Alhowail1, L-X Zhang, M Buabeid
1Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Qassim University, Al Qassim, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. aalhowail@qu.edu.sa.
Objective:
The aim of this study is to investigate the role of the purinergic P2Y2 receptor in learning and memory processes.
Materials And Methods:
Behavioral, electrophysiological, and biochemical tests of memory function were conducted in P2Y2 receptor knockout (P2Y2R-KO) mice, and the findings were compared to those of wild-type mice with the help of unpaired Student's t-test.
Results:
The findings of the behavioral Y-maze test showed that the P2Y2R-KO mice had impaired memory and cognitive function. Electrophysiological studies on paired-pulse facilitation showed that glutamate release was higher in the P2Y2R-KO mice than in the WT mice. Furthermore, PCR and Western blot analysis revealed that the mRNA and protein expression of acetylcholinesterase E (AChE) and alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α7 nAChRs) were increased in the hippocampus of P2Y2R-KO mice.
Conclusions:
The findings of this study indicate that P2Y2 receptors are important regulators of both glutamatergic and cholinergic systems in the hippocampus.
