GABAA receptor (GABAAR) pentamers are assembled from a pool of 19 subunits, and variety in subunit combinations diversifies GABAAR functions to tune brain activity. Pentamers with distinct subunit compositions localize differentially at synaptic and non-synaptic sites to mediate phasic and tonic inhibition, respectively. Despite multitudes of theoretical permutations, limited subunit combinatio...

the anticonvulsant activity of astragalus squarrosus total extract was assessed in pentylenetetrazole (ptz)-induced convulsion in mice, with diazepam as the standard drug, while mechanistic studies were also conducted using flumazenil, a gaba a-benzodiazepine receptor complex site antagonist. the extract produced protection against convulsion at 400 mg/kg, comparable with protection of benzodia...

Exogenously expressed opsins are valuable tools for optogenetic control of neurons in circuits. A deeper understanding of neural function can be gained by bringing control to endogenous neurotransmitter receptors that mediate synaptic transmission. Here we introduce a comprehensive optogenetic toolkit for controlling GABA(A) receptor-mediated inhibition in the brain. We developed a series of ph...

In this study, we examined effects of chemical stimulation of the ventrolateral region of the midbrain periaqueductal gray (vl PAG) on airway smooth muscle tone. We observed that in anesthetized, paralyzed, and artificially ventilated ferrets, vl PAG stimulation elicited airway smooth muscle relaxation. To clarify the mechanisms underlying this observation, we examined the GABA-GABA(A) receptor...

Fast inhibition in the nervous system is commonly mediated by GABA(A) receptors comprised of 2alpha/2beta/1gamma subunits. In contrast, GABA(C) receptors containing only rho subunits (rho1-rho3) have been predominantly detected in the retina. However, here using reverse transcription-PCR and in situ hybridization we show that mRNA encoding the rho1 subunit is highly expressed in brainstem neuro...

Characterization of the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)(B) receptor involved in the motility of dog small intestine was analyzed by application of the microdialysis method to the small intestine of the whole body of the dog. The reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used. Intraarterial administration of muscimol induced acceleration of motility associated with acetylcholin...

Angiotensin II (ANG II) increases GABA(B) receptor expression in neuronal cultures from the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS). In the present study, the chronic effects of ANG II on GABA(B) receptor expression and activity were examined in the NTS of Sprague-Dawley rats. Intracerebroventricular infusion of ANG II caused a significant elevation in blood pressure (BP) and an increase in GABA(B) rec...

In the CNS, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) acts as an inhibitory transmitter via ligand-gated GABA(A) receptor channels and G protein-coupled GABA(B) receptors. Both of these receptor types mediate inhibitory postsynaptic transmission throughout the nervous system. For GABA(A) receptors, this inhibitory action is associated with a hyperpolarization due to an increase in conductance to chloride ...

Repeated cocaine causes enduring changes in dopamine and glutamate transmission in the nucleus accumbens, and dopamine and glutamate terminals synapse on GABAergic accumbens neurons. The present study demonstrates that there are changes in GABA transmission in the accumbens at 3 weeks after discontinuing daily cocaine injections. No-net flux microdialysis revealed a significant increase in the ...

in this study, the influence of dopamine receptor agonists and antagonists on antinociception induced by bac10fen has been examined in the formalin test. the gaba-b agonist bac10fen induced antinociception in both phases of the formalin test in mice. the dopamine receptor agonists skf 38393 and quinpirole also induced antinociception in both phases of the test. skf 38393 but not quinpirole pote...