Homocysteine: to measure or not to measure? Focus on “Functional NMDA receptors in rat erythrocytes”

The study by Makhro and colleagues, published in this issue (11), shows presence of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in different cell types and tissues from the rat: UT-7/Epo cells, bone marrow cells, and cerebellar tissue. Interestingly, peripheral blood also expressed NMDA receptors, which are more abundant in erythroid precursor cells and reticulocytes. These findings were validated by applying different methodologies, such as determination of the number of receptors by radiolabeling, Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, ion transport with radiotracers, and several others, to demonstrate not only presence but also functionality of these receptors.