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Extracellular taurine in the substantia nigra: Taurine‐glutamate interaction
Author(s) -
García Dopico José,
Perdomo Díaz Juan,
Alonso Teofilo Jorge,
González Hernández Tomás,
Castro Fuentes Rafael,
Rodríguez Díaz Manuel
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of neuroscience research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.72
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1097-4547
pISSN - 0360-4012
DOI - 10.1002/jnr.20108
Subject(s) - taurine , extracellular , glutamate receptor , substantia nigra , microdialysis , chemistry , biochemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , neuroscience , dopaminergic , dopamine , amino acid , receptor
Taurine has been proposed as an inhibitory transmitter in the substantia nigra (SN), but the mechanisms involved in its release and uptake remain practically unexplored. We studied the extracellular pool of taurine in the rat's SN by using microdialysis methods, paying particular attention to the taurine–glutamate (GLU) interaction. Extracellular taurine increased after cell depolarization with high‐K + in a Ca 2+ ‐dependent manner, being modified by the local perfusion of GLU, GLU receptor agonists, and zinc. Nigral administration of taurine increased the extracellular concentration of γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) and GLU, the transmitters of the two main inputs of the SN. The modification of the glial metabolism with fluocitrate and L‐methionine sulfoximine also changed the extracellular concentration of taurine. The complex regulation of the extracellular pool of taurine, its interaction with GABA and GLU, and the involvement of glial cells in its regulation suggest a volume transmission role for taurine in the SN. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.