White-matter damage is a leading cause of neurological handicap. Although
hypoxia-
ischemia and excitotoxicity are major pathogenic factors, a role for genetic influences was suggested recently. Thus, protracted gestational
hypoxia was associated with white-matter damage (WMD) in rat pups but not in mouse pups. Indeed, microglial activation and vessel-wall density on postnatal days (P)1 and P10 were found increased in both mouse and rat pups, but cell death,
astrogliosis, and myelination were only significantly altered in hypoxic rat pups. We investigated whether this species-related difference was ascribable to effects of antenatal
hypoxia on the expression of
glutamate receptor subunits by using immunocytochemistry, PCR, and excitotoxic double hit insult. Quantitative PCR in hypoxic mouse pups on P1 showed 2- to 4-fold down-regulation of the
AMPA-receptor subunits -1, 2, and -4; of the
kainate-receptor subunit GluR7; and of the metabotropic receptor subunits
mGluR1, -2, -3, -5, and -7. None of the
glutamate-receptor subunits was down-regulated in the hypoxic rat pups. NR2B was the only
NMDA-receptor subunit that was down-regulated in hypoxic mice but not in hypoxic rat on P1.
Ifenprodil administration to induce functional inhibition of
NMDA containing NR2B-subunit receptors prevented
hypoxia-induced myelination delay in rat pups. Intracerebral injection of a
glutamate agonist produced a larger decrease in ibotenate-induced excitotoxic lesions in hypoxic mouse pups than in normoxic mouse pups. Gestational
hypoxia may regulate the expression of specific
glutamate-receptor subunits in fetal mice but not in fetal rats. Therefore, genetic factors may influence the susceptibility of rodents to WMD.