Animal models of schizophrenia based on NMDA receptors

Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system responsible for information processing including learning and memory. Its concentration must be maintained at the correct physiological levels because a deficiency or an excess of glutamate can cause variety of disruptions of CNS function. Glutamate acts also via the NMDA receptor, a specific type of ionotropic glutamate receptor. A number of studies have suggested that glutamatergic NMDA receptors play an important role in an ability to learn, memory, brain development and brain function. Importantly, their reduced function is considered as a possible factor for the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. The NMDA receptor hypofunction hypothesis settles on findings that non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonists such as ketamine, phencyclidine and dizocilpine (MK-801) can induce schizophrenic-like symptoms in healthy individuals and exacerbates symptoms in schizophrenic patients; therefore they are often used in animals to induce schizophrenia-like behavior. All these animal models contribute to a better understanding of the etiology and pathophysiology of schizophrenia and may serve as a useful tool in searching for new antipsychotic agents. Key words: glutamate, schizophrenia, memory, NMDA receptors,..