On gabaergic mechanisms in the optokinetic nystagmus of the frog: Effects of bicuculline, allyglycine and SR 95103, a new GABA antagonist

doi:10.1016/0014-2999(85)90663-6

European Journal of Pharmacology

Volume 118, Issues 1–2, 26 November 1985, Pages 61-68

https://doi.org/10.1016/0014-2999(85)90663-6 Get rights and content

Abstract

In a monocular situation, an intravitreal injection of the GABA antagonists, bicuculline or SR 95103 provoked both the suppression of the optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) related to the injected eye and the appearance of a Nasal-Temporal (N-T) component in the OKN triggered by the contralateral non-injected eye (this N-T component being absent in control OKN). These two effects were added in a binocular condition. Similar results were obtained with L-C allylglycine which reduces the endogenous GABA level, but these effects were delayed when compared to those of GABA antagonists. All these data are roughly analogous to those previously obtained with picrotoxin (a non-competitive GABA antagonist) and thus confirm that GABA mechanisms are involved in the control of the frog OKN. Furthermore, SR 95103 acted in this model as a potent selective GABA antagonist, as has been demonstrated in another system.

References (12)

M. Alberici et al.
Glutamic acid decarboxylase inhibition and ultrastructural changes by convulsant drug allylglycine
Biochem. Pharmacol.
(1969)
G. Birukow
Untersuchungen über den optischen Drehnystagmus und über die Schschärfe des Grasfrosches (Rana temporaria)
Z. Vgl. Physiol.
(1937)
N. Bonaventure et al.
Involvement of GABAergic mechanisms in the optokinetic nystagmus of the frog
Exp. Brain Res.
(1983)
N. Bonaventure et al.
Effects of some aminoacids (GABA, glycine, taurine) and of their antagonists (picrotoxin, strychnine) on spatial and temporal features of frog retinal ganglion cell responses
Pflügers Arch.
(1980)
J.P. Chambon et al.
An aryl-aminopyridazine derivative of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a new selective and competitive antagonist at the GABA_A receptor site
S.L. Cochran et al.
Direction-selective neurons in the frog's visual system
Soc. Neurosci. Abstract
(1980)

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (21)

Effects of unilateral visual deprivation in adult frog on monocular okn directional asymmetry
1994, Studies in Visual Information Processing
In frogs, the horizontal monocular optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) is asymmetrical, with only the temporal-nasal (T-N) stimulation being efficient to evoke the reflex. Coil recordings showed that, in adult animals, prolonged monocular visual deprivation by unilateral eyelid suture provoked the appearance of the N-T component. A unique microinjection of GABA_A agonist THIP or of muscarinic antagonist atropine into the nucleus lentiformis mesencephali (nLM), the pretectal mesencephalic structure involved in OKN, transiently abolished the presence of the N-T component. Daily microinjections of the NMDA antagonist APV into the nLM, during the week of monocular deprivation, prevented the appearance of the N-T component. The results suggest that this phenomenon of visual plasticity can be due to reduction in pretectal GABAergic inhibition, and to concomitant activation of both cholinergic muscarinic and NMDA receptors.
Effects of unilateral microinjections of gaba<inf>a</inf> antagonist into the chicken mesencephalic structures responsible for okn
1994, Studies in Visual Information Processing
The nucleus Superficialis (nSS) and the nucleus Ectomamillaris (nEM) are mesencephalic structures involved in optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) genesis. Unilateral microinjections of SR 95531, a GABA-A antagonist, into one of these nuclei provoked an increase of Temporal-Nasal (T-N) and Nasal-Temporal (N-T) components of the monocular OKN directed by the contralateral or ipsilateral eye to the injected structure. The results indicate that the nSS is more responsible for the OKN when the stimulation is in the T-N direction, the nEM being more involved in OKN when the stimulation is in the N-T direction. Strong interactions exist between all these nuclei, especially crossed interactions.
N-methyl-d-aspartate antagonists suppress the development of frog symmetric monocular optokynetic nystagmus observed after unilateral visual deprivation
1992, Developmental Brain Research
In monocular vision, frogs display a unidirectional optokinetic (OKN), reacting only to temporal-nasal (T-N) stimulation. The OKN N-T component is almost absent. However, prolonged monocular visual deprivation by unilateral eyelid suture provoked the appearance of the N-T component. The analysis of search coil recordings showed that the slow phase velocity gain of both T-N and N-T components became similar. Chronic administration of $N- methyl- d -aspartate$ (NMDA) antagonists for the duration of deprivation prevented the appearance of a symmetrical monocular OKN in frogs: following repeated intraperitoneal injections of either MK 801, CGS 19755 or intrapretectal microinjections of 2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate (APV), the N-T component did not appear, and OKN remained asymmetrical. Thus NMDA receptors appear to be involved in the control of the plasticity process which allows monocular OKN of adult lower vertebrates to become symmetrical.
Pharmacological study of the chicken's monocular optokinetic nystagmus: Effects of GABAergic agonist and antagonists
1992, Vision Research
When injected into the chicken open eye, the GABA-agonist THIP and the GABA-antagonists bicuculline and picrotoxin induced spontaneous eye movements in nasal-temporal (N-T) and in temporal-nasal (T-N) direction, respectively. These spontaneous movements were scarcely modulated by optokinetic stimulation, irrespective of the direction of stimulation. It is suggested that they are due to the suppression of directional selectivity of retinal ganglion cells. When injected into the closed eye, GABAergic drugs did not produce spontaneous nystagmus. THIP provoked a reduction of the N-T component, without modifying the T-N one, while GABA antagonists induced a significant increase in OKN performance, especially for the N-T direction of stimulation. In these conditions, picrotoxin also provoked an increase in the duration of both components of optokinetic after nystagmus, indicating a direct effect of the drug upon the velocity-storage system.
Pharmacological study of the chicken's monocular optokinetic nystagmus: Involvement of the ON retinal channel evidenced by the glutamatergic separation of ON and OFF pathways
1992, Vision Research
The chicken's monocular optokinetic nystagmus (OKN), recorded by the magnetic search coil technique, displays a directional asymmetry, the temporal-nasal (T-N) stimulation being more efficient than the nasal-temporal (N-T) one to evoke the reflex. The intravitreal administration of APB, a glutamate agonist which selectively blocks the ON retinal channel strongly reduced the eye monocular OKN; it also induced spontaneous eye movements in the T-N direction. The intravitreal injection of PDA another glutamate analog, which reduces the OFF channel, while increasing the activity of the ON channel, induced a large increase in OKN velocity gain, especially for a N-T stimulation at the lowest drum speeds. These results indicate the main involvement of the ON retinal channel in the OKN genesis and the inhibitory effect of the OFF channel upon this oculomotor reflex.
Plasticity of the frog monocular OKN: involvement of pretectal GABAergic and cholinergic systems
1992, Neuroscience Letters
The frog horizontal monocular optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) is asymmetrical, the temporal-nasal (T-N) stimulation being the sole stimulation efficient to evoke the reflex, the nasal-temporal (N-T) component being almost absent. Coil recordings showed that, in adult animals, prolonged monocular visual deprivation by unilateral eyelid suture provoked the appearance of the N-T component. The OKN became symmetrical, reacting for both directions of stimulation. Microinjection of either γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA_A) agonist 4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoxazolo (5,4-C) Pyridin-3-ol (THIP) or muscarinic cholinergic antagonist atropine into the nucleus lentiformis mesencephali, the pretectal mesencephalic structure involved in OKN, transiently abolished the presence of N-T component. This result suggests that the phenomenon of visual plasticity, occurring after a week of monocular deprivation, can be due, at least partially, to reduction in pretectal GABAergic inhibition, and to concomitant activation of cholinergic muscarinic receptors.

View all citing articles on Scopus

View full text

Article preview

European Journal of Pharmacology

Abstract

References (12)

Glutamic acid decarboxylase inhibition and ultrastructural changes by convulsant drug allylglycine

Biochem. Pharmacol.

Untersuchungen über den optischen Drehnystagmus und über die Schschärfe des Grasfrosches (Rana temporaria)

Z. Vgl. Physiol.

Involvement of GABAergic mechanisms in the optokinetic nystagmus of the frog

Exp. Brain Res.

Effects of some aminoacids (GABA, glycine, taurine) and of their antagonists (picrotoxin, strychnine) on spatial and temporal features of frog retinal ganglion cell responses

Pflügers Arch.

An aryl-aminopyridazine derivative of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a new selective and competitive antagonist at the GABA_A receptor site

Direction-selective neurons in the frog's visual system

Soc. Neurosci. Abstract

Cited by (21)

Effects of unilateral visual deprivation in adult frog on monocular okn directional asymmetry

Effects of unilateral microinjections of gaba<inf>a</inf> antagonist into the chicken mesencephalic structures responsible for okn

N-methyl-d-aspartate antagonists suppress the development of frog symmetric monocular optokynetic nystagmus observed after unilateral visual deprivation

Pharmacological study of the chicken's monocular optokinetic nystagmus: Effects of GABAergic agonist and antagonists

Pharmacological study of the chicken's monocular optokinetic nystagmus: Involvement of the ON retinal channel evidenced by the glutamatergic separation of ON and OFF pathways

Plasticity of the frog monocular OKN: involvement of pretectal GABAergic and cholinergic systems

On gabaergic mechanisms in the optokinetic nystagmus of the frog: Effects of bicuculline, allyglycine and SR 95103, a new GABA antagonist

Abstract

Biochem. Pharmacol.

Untersuchungen über den optischen Drehnystagmus und über die Schschärfe des Grasfrosches (Rana temporaria)

Z. Vgl. Physiol.

Involvement of GABAergic mechanisms in the optokinetic nystagmus of the frog

Exp. Brain Res.

Effects of some aminoacids (GABA, glycine, taurine) and of their antagonists (picrotoxin, strychnine) on spatial and temporal features of frog retinal ganglion cell responses

Pflügers Arch.

An aryl-aminopyridazine derivative of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a new selective and competitive antagonist at the GABAA receptor site

Direction-selective neurons in the frog's visual system

Soc. Neurosci. Abstract

An aryl-aminopyridazine derivative of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a new selective and competitive antagonist at the GABA_A receptor site