GABAB receptors are G-protein-coupled receptors that mediate inhibitory synaptic actions through a series of downstream target proteins. It is increasingly appreciated that the GABAB receptor forms part of larger signaling complexes, which enable the receptor to mediate multiple different effects within neurons. Here we report that GABAB receptors can physically associate with the potassium-chl...

Introduction: In female rats sensitivity to antinociceptive treatment varies during estrous cycle stages. The role of GABA through GABAB receptor in nociception has been established. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of intercerebroventicular injection of GABAB receptor agonist (baclofen) and GABAB antagonist (CGP35348) on pain sensitivity during different stages of estr...

In the present study, the effects of excitation and inhibition of GABAA and GABAB receptor subtypes on the expression of morphine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) were investigated. For this purpose, male Wistar rats (250-300 g) were used in the experiments. Five days after surgical cannulation in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), different doses of morphine were injected into the ani...

The pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPTg) has an important anatomical position connecting basal ganglia and limbic systems with motor execution structures in the pons and spinal cord. It receives glutamatergic and GABAergic input and has additional reciprocal connections with mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons, suggesting that the PPTg plays a key role in fronto-striatal information process...

Baclofen is a GABAB receptor agonist commonly used to relief spasticity related to motor disorders. The effects of baclofen on voluntary motor output are limited and not yet understood. Using noninvasive transcranial magnetic and electrical stimulation techniques, we examined electrophysiological measures probably involving GABAB (long-interval intracortical inhibition and the cortical silent p...

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain and is implicated in the pathophysiology of a number of neuropsychiatric disorders. The GABAB receptors are G-protein coupled receptors consisting of principle subunits and auxiliary potassium channel tetramerization domain (KCTD) subunits. The KCTD subunits 8, 12, 12b and 16 are cytosolic proteins that determi...

Opioids are intensely addictive, and cessation of their chronic use is associated with a highly aversive withdrawal syndrome. A cellular hallmark of withdrawal is an opioid sensitive protein kinase A-dependent increase in GABA transporter-1 (GAT-1) currents in periaqueductal gray (PAG) neurons. Elevated GAT-1 activity directly increases GABAergic neuronal excitability and synaptic GABA release,...

McQuiston AR. Effects of -opioid receptor modulation on GABAB receptor synaptic function in hippocampal CA1. J Neurophysiol 97: 2301–2311, 2007. First published January 10, 2007; doi:10.1152/jn.01179.2006. Activation of -opioid receptors (MORs) alters information coding, synaptic plasticity, and spatial memory in hippocampal CA1. In CA1, MORs act by inhibiting GABA release onto both GABAA and G...

Chronic pain is very difficult to treat. Thus, novel analgesics are a critical area of research. Strong preclinical evidence supports the analgesic effects of -conopeptides, Vc1.1 and RgIA, which block 9 10 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). However, the analgesic mechanism is controversial. Some evidence supports the block of 9 10 nAChRs as an analgesic mechanism, while other evidence...

There is evidence for gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) dysfunction in the pathophysiology and treatment response of patients with major depression, but this has not been studied in seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Growth hormone (GH) response to a challenge with a GABAB receptor agonist, baclofen, is considered an in vivo index of hypothalamic GABAB receptor function in humans. To explore the r...