Overexpression of NMDAR2B in an inflammatory model of Alzheimer's disease: modulation by NOS inhibitors.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common form of age-related dementia, characterized by deposition of amyloid Aβ plaques, neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDAR) are postsynaptic glutamate receptors that play a role in memory formation and are targets for memantadine, an anti-AD drug. Nitric oxide (NO) signaling has been involved in both memory development through neuronal NO synthase (nNOS), and neuroinflammation through inducible NO synthase (iNOS) which mediates CNS inflammatory processes.