Subplate neurons play an important role in early cortical development. To investigate whether these transient neurons receive synaptic inputs, we performed whole-cell recordings from visually identified and biocytin-labeled subplate cells in somatosensory cortical slices from postnatal day 0-3 rats. Subplate neurons had an average resting membrane potential of -55 mV and input resistance of app...

In this work, the involvement of ionotropic glutamatergic receptors and nitric oxide on striatal dopamine release induced by anatoxin-a was investigated in conscious and freely-moving rats. To study the participation of glutamatergic receptors, the effects of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA)/kainate receptors antagonist, 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX)...

Kainate (KA), used for modelling neurodegenerative diseases, evokes excitotoxicity. However, the precise mechanism of KA-evoked [Ca(2+)]i increase is unexplored, especially in acute brain slice preparations. We used [Ca(2+)]i imaging and patch clamp electrophysiology to decipher the mechanism of KA-evoked [Ca(2+)]i rise and its inhibition by the tricyclic antidepressant desipramine (DMI) in CA1...

Glutamate, the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, activates at least three types of channel-forming receptors defined by the selective agonists N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), kainate, and quisqualate [or more selectively by alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA)]. Activation of the NMDA receptor requires glycine as well as NMDA or glutamate. ...

Excitatory amino acids and their receptors play an important role in both normal synaptic transmission and excitotoxic-mediated neuronal death. In the present investigation we have prepared a series of glutamate analogs and examined the pharmacological specificity with which they interact with excitatory amino acid receptors. Included within this group of compounds is a potent excitotoxic amino...

The present study provides the first evidence that adhesion receptors belonging to the integrin family modulate excitatory transmission in the adult rat brain. Infusion of an integrin ligand (the peptide GRGDSP) into rat hippocampal slices reversibly increased the slope and amplitude of excitatory postsynaptic potentials. This effect was not accompanied by changes in paired pulse facilitation, ...

Synaptic plasticity at excitatory synapses in the brain is largely achieved by rapid changes in the number of synaptic alpha-amino-3-hydroxyl-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate (AMPA) receptors. Stargazin, a membrane protein that interacts with AMPA receptors, is believed to play a pivotal role in trafficking AMPA receptors to the plasma membrane and targeting them to the synapse. However, it is un...

We have used whole-cell recordings and rapid agonist applications to characterize the physiological properties of kainate receptors expressed by rat hippocampal neurons in dissociated cell culture. Activation of NMDA and AMPA receptors was prevented by inclusion of the noncompetitive antagonists MK-801 (2 microM) and GYKI 53655 (100 microM), respectively. In the presence of these inhibitors, bo...

Perampanel is an aryl substituted 2-pyridone AMPA receptor antagonist that was recently approved as a treatment for epilepsy. The drug potently inhibits AMPA receptor responses but the mode of block has not been characterized. Here the action of perampanel on AMPA receptors was investigated by whole-cell voltage-clamp recording in cultured rat hippocampal neurons. Perampanel caused a slow (τ∼1 ...

PURPOSE To investigate the expression of ionotropic glutamate receptor subunits by retinal neurons, to assess the extent to which different functional types of retinal neurons are characterized by the expression of the receptor subtypes. METHODS Rod photoreceptor cells and bipolar cells were identified in retina dissociates. Amacrine cells were identified in dissociates from transgenic mice o...