Involvement of PDGF receptor-β activation in anoxia induced response of excitatory synaptic transmission in mice second order neurons of the nucleus tractus solitarius

Platelet-derived growth factors (PDGFs) are multifunctional polypeptides. PDGF-BB is released by hypoxic or anoxic stimulation in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS). To understand the function of PDGF-BB in hypoxic response, we examined the effects of PDGF receptor-beta (PDGFR-beta) activation on anoxia-induced responses of evoked EPSCs (eEPSCs) in the NTS neurons of knockout (KO) mice with conditional deletion of the PDGFR-beta gene in neurons. The decrease of amplitude of eEPSCs by NaCN (1 mM) was similar between wild-type (WT) and KO mice. The recovery of eEPSCs in KO mice was much faster than in WT mice. This study demonstrates that PDGFR-beta activation is not involved in the inhibition of eEPSCs by anoxia. but slows the recovery of the eEPSCs. It is suggested that PDGF-BB may be released by anoxia. and inhibit AMPA receptor-mediated excitatory synaptic transmission through PDGFR-beta in the NTS.