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THE EFFECT OF THE CONVULSANT AGENT, CATECHOL, ON NEUROTRANSMITTER UPTAKE AND RELEASE IN RAT BRAIN SLICES
Author(s) -
MINCHIN M.C.W.,
PEARSON G.
Publication year - 1981
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.1476-5381.1981.tb10483.x
Subject(s) - catechol , convulsant , acetylcholine , chemistry , neurotransmitter , cerebral cortex , excitatory postsynaptic potential , biochemistry , pharmacology , medicine , endocrinology , biology , receptor
1 The effect of catechol on uptake and K + ‐stimulated release of γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA), D‐aspartate, noradrenaline and acetylcholine has been studied in slices of cerebral cortex and thalamus. 2 Low concentrations of catechol did not influence the uptake of any of the neurotransmitters in either brain area. 3 Noradrenaline release was unaffected by catechol. 4 Acetylcholine release from both cortical and thalamic slices was inhibited by high concentrations of catechol. This phenomenon is unlikely to be related to catechol‐induced convulsions. 5 Catechol (100 μm) inhibited GABA release from cortical slices by 28%. However, at a concentration of 10 μm catechol enhanced the release of D‐aspartate from thalamic slices by over 100%. 6 Potentiated release of excitatory amino acid transmitters may contribute to the enhanced excitability of thalamic cells which occurs during sensory myoclonus induced by low doses of catechol.