Expression of Subunits of Ampa-Type (Ionotropic) Glutamate Receptors in the Rat Spinal Cord

Abstract

The distribution of ionotropic glutamate receptor subunits (GluR1-4), considered alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isaxole propionic acid type (AMPA-type), was investigated in the rat spinal cord by immunocytochemistry. Different distributions of the AMPA-type glutamate receptor subunits were observed in the spinal cord. Immunolabelling with antibodies to both GluR1 and GluR2/3 revealed intensive staining in the dorsal horn, while staining for GluR2/3 and GluR4 revealed dense motor neurones in the ventral horn. These results suggest that in the rat spinal cord AMPA-type glutamate receptors vary in composition according to the region where they are expressed.