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AUGMENTATION BY CHLORDIAZEPOXIDE OF THE INHIBITORY EFFECTS OF TAURINE, β‐ALANINE AND γ‐AMINOBUTYRIC ACID ON SPIKE DISCHARGES IN GUINEA‐PIG CEREBELLAR SLICES
Author(s) -
OKAMOTO KOICHI,
SAKAI YUTAKA
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
british journal of pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.432
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1476-5381
pISSN - 0007-1188
DOI - 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1979.tb07829.x
Subject(s) - taurine , guinea pig , chlordiazepoxide , inhibitory postsynaptic potential , alanine , chemistry , neuroscience , pharmacology , gamma aminobutyric acid , spike (software development) , strychnine , biology , biochemistry , amino acid , endocrinology , management , economics , receptor , diazepam
1 Chlordiazepoxide (Cdp, 1 to 100 μ m ) enhanced the inhibitory action of externally applied γ‐amino‐butyric acid (GABA) upon spontaneous spike discharges in guinea‐pig cerebellar slices; the actions of externally applied β‐alanine and taurine, but not externally applied glycine, were also enhanced by Cdp. 2 It was suggested that Cdp might exert its action by enhancing the increase of membrane permeability to K + induced by the amino acid, but not to Cl−. 3 Cdp (5 to 100 μ m ) reversed the antagonism of picrotoxin to the inhibitory action of externally applied GABA and also the antagonism of strychnine to the actions of externally applied β‐alanine and taurine. 4 The inhibition of the spontaneous spike discharges of Purkinje cells, evoked by electrical stimulation of the slice, was also enhanced by Cdp (10 to 100 μ m ). 5 The blocking action of picrotoxin (10 or 20 μ m ) on the stimulus‐evoked inhibition of spike discharges was reversed by Cdp (10 μ m ). 6 In a similar manner, strychnine (10 or 20 μ m ) was also found to block the stimulus‐evoked inhibition of spike discharges. It is suggested that in the cerebellum strychnine‐sensitive amino acid(s) may be involved in synaptic transmission. Strychnine blockade was also reversed by Cdp (10 μ m ).