RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Two distinct mechanisms, differentially affected by excitatory amino acids, trigger GABA release from fetal mouse striatal neurons in primary culture JF The Journal of Neuroscience JO J. Neurosci. FD Society for Neuroscience SP 648 OP 656 DO 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.09-02-00648.1989 VO 9 IS 2 A1 JP Pin A1 J Bockaert YR 1989 UL http://www.jneurosci.org/content/9/2/648.abstract AB The mechanisms leading to Ca2+-dependent and Ca2+-independent GABA release were studied on highly purified striatal neurons developed in primary culture. Ca2+-dependent GABA release, which represents about 75% of the 56 mM K+ effect was totally inhibited when striatal neurons were first exposed to tetanus toxin (TnTx) (10 micrograms/ml) for 24 hr. The K+ effect was potentiated when 1 mM nipecotic acid (an inhibitor of the GABA uptake system) was added during the stimulation period or when Na+ was replaced by Li+. However, no difference in the GABA release measured under high-K+ conditions was observed after a 22 min preincubation of the neurons in a medium containing nipecotic acid or Li+. Replacement of Cl- ions by SO4(2-) did not modify K+-evoked GABA release. Ca2+-independent GABA release was stimulated by veratridine (20 microM), ouabain (3 mM), and monensin (20 microM), as well as the excitatory amino acids glutamate (100 microM), N-methyl-D- aspartate (100 microM), quisqualate (10 microM), and kainate (1 mM), drugs known to increase intracellular Na+ concentration. The veratridine- or glutamate-evoked GABA release was neither inhibited when intracellular Ca2+ content was reduced by more than 90% nor by treatment of the neurons to TnTx. However, the Ca2+-independent GABA release elicited by veratridine was inhibited by preincubation of the neurons in a medium containing 1 mM nipectotic acid and in a medium containing Li+ instead of Na+ or SO4(2-) instead of Cl-. These results strongly suggest that 2 different GABA release mechanisms exist in striatal neurons.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)