MK-801 inhibits the induction of immediate early genes in cerebral cortex, thalamus, and hippocampus, but not in substantia nigra following middle cerebral artery occlusion

Middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion in rats induced c-fos and junB mRNA later in all ipsilateral cortex outside the MCA distribution and in many subcortical structures: medial striatum; most of thalamus including medial and lateral geniculate nuclei; substantia nigra; and hippocampus. The N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist, MK-801 (4 mg/kg, i.p.) inhibited c-fos and junB mRNA induction in the cortex, striatum, thalamus, and hippocampus but not in the substantia nigra. These data show that c-fos and junB mRNA induction in cortex, striatum, thalamus, hippocampus involves the activation of NMDA receptors whereas different receptors must be implicated in the induction in substantia nigra.