Abstract
The responses to excitatory and inhibitory amino acids and peptides were investigated in isolated rat spinal dorsal horn neurons (laminae I-V) of young rats using the whole-cell voltage-clamp technique. The treatment of spinal slices with low concentrations of enzymes and mechanical dissociation yielded isolated neurons that were sensitive to excitatory amino acids (glutamate, kainate, quisqualate and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), inhibitory amino acids (gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glycine) and peptides (substance P, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). The responses of dorsal horn neurons to NMDA were potentiated by glycine and CGRP, whereas GABAA responses were enhanced by alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA). Our observations indicate that there is reasonable agreement between many of the responses of isolated neurons and those studied in in vivo and in vitro slice and culture preparations.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
MeSH terms
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Amino Acids / pharmacology*
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Animals
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Aspartic Acid / analogs & derivatives
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Aspartic Acid / pharmacology
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Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide
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Drug Synergism
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Electric Conductivity
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Electrophysiology
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Glutamates / pharmacology
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Glutamic Acid
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Glycine / pharmacology
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Ibotenic Acid / analogs & derivatives
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Ibotenic Acid / pharmacology
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Kainic Acid / pharmacology
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N-Methylaspartate
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Neurons / drug effects
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Neurons / physiology*
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Neuropeptides / pharmacology
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Oxadiazoles / pharmacology
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Peptides / pharmacology*
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Quisqualic Acid
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Rats
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Rats, Inbred Strains
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Spinal Cord / cytology*
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Substance P / pharmacology
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alpha-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic Acid
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gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / pharmacology
Substances
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Amino Acids
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Glutamates
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Neuropeptides
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Oxadiazoles
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Peptides
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Ibotenic Acid
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Aspartic Acid
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Substance P
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Glutamic Acid
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gamma-Aminobutyric Acid
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N-Methylaspartate
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alpha-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic Acid
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Quisqualic Acid
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Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide
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Kainic Acid
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Glycine