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Decreased expression of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 1 messenger RNA in select regions of Alzheimer brain
Ulas J, Cotman CW.. Neuroscience, 1997-08-01
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Plain-language summary
An antisense oligonucleotide probe was used to examine the expression of gene encoding the obligatory NMDAR1 subunit of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor in the hippocampus and adjacent cortical areas (entorhinal and perirhinal cortices) of seven Alzheimer patients and in the same brain regions of seven control individuals. Both groups were matched according to age, sex, cause of death, post mortem delay, and tissue storage time. Densitometric analysis of in situ hybridization autoradiograms revealed a 34% (P<0.05) decrease in NMDAR1 messenger RNA levels in layer III of the entorhinal cortex in Alzheimer brains. Similar deficits. although statistically not significant, were observed in layers II and IV-VI of the entorhinal cortex, and in granule cells of the dentate gyrus. Reduced levels of NMDAR1 messenger RNA were also found in layers II-VI of the perirhinal cortex (41 53% decrease, P<0.02). There were no changes in NMDAR1 messenger RNA expression in the CA1, hilus, or subiculum. Both Alzheimer and control group show substantial intersubject variation in levels of NMDAR1 messenger RNA. The analysis of emulsion-dipped tissue revealed a trend toward a decrease in the number of silver grains overlying individual neurons in the CA1, entorhinal cortex, and granule cell layer of some Alzheimer patients. No significant relationship was detected between the levels of NMDAR1 messenger RNA and post mortem delay, tissue storage, age of the subjects, or mini mental state exam score either in control or Alzheimer individuals. In contrast, a strong inverse correlation between NMDAR1 expression and disease duration was found. These data suggest that reduction in expression of the NMDAR1 gene observed in certain regions of Alzheimer hippocampus and adjacent cortical regions is specific for the disease itself. We postulate that reduced transcript levels may reflect either regional cell loss or anomalies in glutamatergic input to the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex in Alzheimer's disease. When followed by changes at the receptor subunit protein level, altered expression of the NMDAR1 gene in Alzheimer brain may contribute, through the formation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors with different properties, to the previously reported modified N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor ligand binding, abnormal vulnerability of select neuronal populations to excitotoxic insult, and may also be involved in learning and memory deficits.
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APA 7th
Ulas, J., & Cotman, C. W. (1997). Decreased expression of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 1 messenger RNA in select regions of Alzheimer brain. Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0306-4522(97)00023-7
Vancouver
Ulas J, Cotman CW. Decreased expression of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 1 messenger RNA in select regions of Alzheimer brain. Neuroscience. 1997. doi:10.1016/s0306-4522(97)00023-7. PMID: 9219960.
BibTeX
@article{ulas1997-9219960,
author = {Ulas, J. and Cotman, C. W.},
title = {{Decreased expression of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 1 messenger RNA in select regions of Alzheimer brain}},
journal = {Neuroscience},
year = {1997},
doi = {10.1016/s0306-4522(97)00023-7},
pmid = {9219960},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/s0306-4522(97)00023-7}
}
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Key findings
- Densitometric analysis of in situ hybridization autoradiograms revealed a 34% (P<0.05) decrease in NMDAR1 messenger RNA levels in layer III of the entorhinal cortex in Alzheimer brains.
- Similar deficits. although statistically not significant, were observed in layers II and IV-VI of the entorhinal cortex, and in granule cells of the dentate gyrus.
- The analysis of emulsion-dipped tissue revealed a trend toward a decrease in the number of silver grains overlying individual neurons in the CA1, entorhinal cortex, and granule cell layer of some Alzheimer patients.
- No significant relationship was detected between the levels of NMDAR1 messenger RNA and post mortem delay, tissue storage, age of the subjects, or mini mental state exam score either in control or Alzheimer individuals.
- These data suggest that reduction in expression of the NMDAR1 gene observed in certain regions of Alzheimer hippocampus and adjacent cortical regions is specific for the disease itself.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 36/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record and multicenter collaboration, so those were left out: it earned 21 of the 58 points we could judge it on, which is 36 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Neuroscience) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 1997 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multicenter collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 9219960) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 21 / 58 | Scored on 11 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 21 of the 58 points we could judge it on is 36 out of 100. |
| Total | 36 / 100 | — |
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