[Effects of lead exposure on expression of mGluR5 in mRNA and protein levels of the cultured hippocampal neurons]

To study the effects on the expression of mGluR5 mRNA and protein levels in primarily cultured hippocampal neurons after lead exposure.Primary embryonic rat hippocampal neuronal culture was prepared. On the 3(rd) day of incubation, lead chloride solution was added into medium to produce four different lead exposure levels: 0, 1 x 10(-8) mol/L, 1 x 10(-6) mol/L, 1 x 10(-4) mol/L Pb(2+). After 10 days of incubation, the neurons were collected to measure the alteration of mGluR5 mRNA expression by real-time fluorescent quantity PCR and the expression of mGluR5 in protein level by Western blot.The studies revealed that mGluR5 mRNA expression was down-regulated after lead exposure in a dose-dependent manner. The mGluR5 mRNA expression of the lower lead-exposed neurons (Pb(2+) 10(-8) mol/L), the medium lead-exposed neurons(Pb(2+) 10(-6) mol/L), the higher lead-exposed neurons(Pb(2+) 10(-4) mol/L) were 0.724, 0.421, 0.321 times less than that of the controls, respectively. The Western blot demonstrated that mGluR5 expression in protein level should be decreased after lead exposure.The expression of mGluR5 in mRNA and protein levels should be down-regulated after lead exposure at different lead levels in a dose-dependent manner.