Skip to main content
PMC home page
British Journal of Pharmacology logoLink to British Journal of Pharmacology
. 1978 Jul;63(3):495–502. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1978.tb07803.x

Presynaptic actions of gamma-aminobutyric acid and some antagonists in a slice preparation of cuneate nucleus.

M A Simmonds
PMCID: PMC1668104  PMID: 667493

Abstract

1 A slice preparation of the rat cuneate nucleus is described which is suitable for electrophysiological studies on the presynaptic action of drugs. 2. Superfusion of a slice with gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) depolarized the afferent nerves in a concentration-related manner. The responses were Cl-dependent. Depolarizations to high concentrations of GABA often faded. Glycine and L-glutamate had little effect. 3 (+)-Bicuculline antagonized GABA in an apparently competitive manner (pA2 = 5.35) at low response levels. Strychnine was 10 times less potent. Responses to high concentrations of GABA were sometimes potentiated by (+)-bicuculline and strychnine. 4 Bemegride and leptazol both antagonized GABA, but with low potency and in a manner which was clearly not competitive.

Full text

PDF
497

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. ANDERSEN P., ECCLES J. C., SCHMIDT R. F., YOKOTA T. DEPOLARIZATION OF PRESYNAPTIC FIBERS IN THE CUNEATE NUCLEUS. J Neurophysiol. 1964 Jan;27:92–106. doi: 10.1152/jn.1964.27.1.92. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Adams P. R., Brown D. A. Actions of gamma-aminobutyric acid on sympathetic ganglion cells. J Physiol. 1975 Aug;250(1):85–120. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1975.sp011044. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Banna N. R., Jabbur S. J. Pharmacological studies on inhibition in the cuneate nucleus of the cat. Int J Neuropharmacol. 1969 May;8(3):299–307. doi: 10.1016/0028-3908(69)90051-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Banna N. R., Jabbur S. J. The action of bemegride on presynaptic inhibition. Neuropharmacology. 1970 Nov;9(6):553–560. doi: 10.1016/0028-3908(70)90005-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Banna N. R., Naccache A., Jabbur S. J. Picrotoxin-like action of bicuculline. Eur J Pharmacol. 1972 Feb;17(2):301–302. doi: 10.1016/0014-2999(72)90175-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Barker J. L., Nicoll R. A., Padjen A. Studies on convulsants in the isolated frog spinal cord. I. Antagonism of amino acid responses. J Physiol. 1975 Mar;245(3):521–536. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1975.sp010859. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Barker J. L., Nicoll R. A. The pharmacology and ionic dependency of amino acid responses in the frog spinal cord. J Physiol. 1973 Jan;228(2):259–277. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1973.sp010085. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Bowery N. G., Brown D. A. Depolarizing actions of gamma-aminobutyric acid and related compounds on rat superior cervical ganglia in vitro. Br J Pharmacol. 1974 Feb;50(2):205–218. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1974.tb08563.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Bowery N. G., Jones G. P. A comparison of gamma-aminobutyric acid and the semi-rigid analogues 4-aminotetrolic acid, 4-aminocrotonic acid and imidazole-4-acetic acid on the isolated superior cervical ganglion of the rat. Br J Pharmacol. 1976 Mar;56(3):323–330. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1976.tb07646.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Boyd E. S., Meritt D. A., Gardner L. C. The effect of convulsant drugs on transmission through the cuneate nucleus. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1966 Dec;154(3):398–409. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Brown D. A., Galvan M. Influence of neuroglial transport on the action of gamma-aminobutyric acid on mammalian ganglion cells. Br J Pharmacol. 1977 Feb;59(2):373–378. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1977.tb07502.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Curtis D. R., Duggan A. W., Felix D., Johnston G. A., McLennan H. Antagonism between bicuculline and GABA in the cat brain. Brain Res. 1971 Oct 8;33(1):57–73. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(71)90305-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Curtis D. R., Lodge D., Brand S. J. GABA and spinal afferent terminal excitability in the cat. Brain Res. 1977 Jul 15;130(2):360–363. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(77)90283-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Davidson N., Southwick C. A. Amino acids and presynaptic inhibition in the rat cuneate nucleus. J Physiol. 1971 Dec;219(3):689–708. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1971.sp009683. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. De Groat W. C., Lalley P. M., Saum W. R. Depolarization of dorsal root ganglia in the cat by GABA and related amino acids: antagonism by picrotoxin and bicuculline. Brain Res. 1972 Sep 15;44(1):273–277. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(72)90383-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Deschenes M., Feltz P., Lamour Y. A model for an estimate in vivo of the ionic basis of presynaptic inhibition: an intracellular analysis of the GABA-induced depolarization in rat dorsal root ganglia. Brain Res. 1976 Dec 24;118(3):486–493. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(76)90318-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Enna S. J., Collins J. F., Snyder S. H. Stereospecificity and structure--activity requirements of GABA receptor binding in rat brain. Brain Res. 1977 Mar 18;124(1):185–190. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(77)90878-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Evans R. H., Watkins J. C. Ventral root responses of the hemisected amphibian spinal cord to perfused amino acids in the presence of procaine. Br J Pharmacol. 1975 Dec;55(4):519–526. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1975.tb07427.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Hayes A. G., Gartside I. B., Straughan D. W. Effect of four convulsants on the time course of presynaptic inhibition and the relation to seizure activity. Neuropharmacology. 1977 Nov;16(11):725–730. doi: 10.1016/0028-3908(77)90129-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Hayes A. G., Simmonds M. A. Effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid on nerve terminal excitability in a slice preparation of cuneate nucleus. Br J Pharmacol. 1978 Jul;63(3):503–507. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1978.tb07804.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Hill R. G., Simmonds M. A., Straughan D. W. A comparative study of some convulsant substances as gamma-aminobutyric acid antagonists in the feline cerebral cortex. Br J Pharmacol. 1973 Sep;49(1):37–51. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1973.tb08266.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Hill R. G., Simmonds M. A., Straughan D. W. Antagonism of gamma-aminobutyric acid and glycine by convulsants in the cuneate nucleus of cat. Br J Pharmacol. 1976 Jan;56(1):9–19. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1976.tb06952.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Hill R. G., Simmonds M. A., Straughan D. W. Proceedings: Convulsant substances as antagonists of GABA and presynaptic inhibition in the cuneate nucleus. Br J Pharmacol. 1974 Sep;52(1):117P–117P. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Krnjević K., Puil E., Werman R. Bicuculline, benzyl penicillin, and inhibitory amino acids in the spinal cord of the cat. Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 1977 Jun;55(3):670–680. doi: 10.1139/y77-091. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Krnjević K., Puil E., Werman R. GABA and glycine actions on spinal motoneurons. Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 1977 Jun;55(3):658–669. doi: 10.1139/y77-090. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Macdonald R. L., Barker J. L. Pentylenetetrazol and penicillin are selective antagonists of GABA-mediated post-synaptic inhibition in cultured mammalian neurones. Nature. 1977 Jun 23;267(5613):720–721. doi: 10.1038/267720a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Nicoll R. A., Padjen A. Pentylenetetrazol: an antagonist of GABA at primary afferents of the isolated frog spinal cord. Neuropharmacology. 1976 Jan;15(1):69–71. doi: 10.1016/0028-3908(76)90099-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Nishi S., Minota S., Karczmar A. G. Primary afferent neurones: the ionic mechanism of GABA-mediated depolarization. Neuropharmacology. 1974 Mar;13(3):215–219. doi: 10.1016/0028-3908(74)90110-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Zukin S. R., Young A. B., Snyder S. H. Gamma-aminobutyric acid binding to receptor sites in the rat central nervous system. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1974 Dec;71(12):4802–4807. doi: 10.1073/pnas.71.12.4802. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Pharmacology are provided here courtesy of The British Pharmacological Society

RESOURCES