N-methyl-D-aspartate and hypoxia induced Ca2+-changes in the CA1 region of the hippocampal slice

Hypoxic neuronal depolarization was accompanied by a large decrease in extracellular [Ca2+]. After reoxygenation, the time at which [Ca2+] normalized was correlated with the extent of recovery of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and synaptic responses. There was no evidence that the NMDA receptor system was more disrupted following hypoxia than the receptors involved in synaptic transmission. The Na+/K+ pump appeared to be better able to recover from hypoxia than the NMDA responses or synaptic transmission.