GLUTAMAT-MEDIATED MECHANISMS OF REGULATION OF VLA-4 EXPRESSION IN MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

The effect of blockade of AMPA and NMDA glutamate receptors on the surface expression of integrin VLA-4 in intact and antigen-activated CD69⁺CD25^–, CD69^–CD25⁺ and CD69⁺CD25⁺ subpopulations of T-lymphocytes obtained from healthy individuals and patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) was studied. The assessment of the level of surface expression of integrin was performed using flow cytometry using immunofluorescent staining. According to obtained data, blockade of NMDA receptors is not accompanied by a change in the surface expression of VLA-4 in all experimental groups. At the same time, differences in the consequences of the blockade of AMPA receptors in patients with MS compared with the group of healthy individuals were revealed: against the background of NBQX in healthy individuals, an increase in surface expression of VLA-4 was observed on cells with the CD69^–CD25⁺ phenotype, while in patients with MS a decrease in the studied parameter was found in CD69⁺CD25^– cells. Thus, glutamate receptors are involved in the regulation of the expression of VLA-4 localized on T-lymphocytes, which reveals the possible mechanisms by which the immunomodulating functions of glutamate are realized in MS.