Stimulation of glutamate receptors increases expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor mRNA in rat hippocampus

Abstract

The activation of neocortical glutamatergic neuronal afferents to the hippocampus as well as direct pharmacologic non-NMDA receptor activation within the hippocampus was shown to result in a dramatic increase in BDNF mRNA expression in granule cells of the dentate gyrus and throughout the pyramidal layer, especially in CA1. Less pronounced effects were also seen for NGF mRNA. These results indicate that expression of BDNF and NGF in the brain is regulated by neuronal activity and glutamate receptor stimulation. This opens up the possibility that the increased levels of these factors seen after excitotoxic brain damage may have a protective role during such brain damage.