enkephalin--leucine-2-alanine and 2-3-dioxo-6-nitro-7-sulfamoylbenzo(f)quinoxaline

Experiments were undertaken to compare effects of the NMDA and non-NMDA receptor antagonists, AP5 (40 microM) and NBQX (10 microM), on glutamate-induced firing in supraoptic oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (VP) neurones in vitro. In putative OT neurones NBQX caused a significantly greater reduction in firing than AP5, whilst in putative VP neurones both antagonists reduced activity powerfully and to a similar extent. The relatively small effect of AP5 in putative OT neurones was unaffected by the removal of extracellular magnesium. These results suggest that glutamate-induced firing in putative OT neurones is predominantly controlled by non-NMDA receptors.

Topics: 2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate; Animals; Enkephalin, Leucine-2-Alanine; Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; Female; Glutamic Acid; In Vitro Techniques; Neurons; Oxytocin; Quinoxalines; Rats; Rats, Wistar