Glutamate as the neurotransmitter of cerebellar granule cells in the rat: electrophysiological evidence.
1 Glutamate and the excitatory aminoacid antagonist, alpha-aminoadipic acid (alphaAA), have been applied by microiontophoresis to Purkinje cells in the rat cerebellum. 2 Glutemate produced excitation of Purkinje cells and alpha AA selectively reduced that excitation without affecting responses to acetylcholine or hydrogen ions. 3 Monosynaptic spikes were evoked in Purkinje cells by stimulating the parallel fibres. alpha AA had little effect on these spikes when applied alone. 4 When the Purkinje cell excitability was reduced by the iontophoresis of gamma-aminobutyric acid, alpha AA then produced railure of the monosynaptic spike on 10 of 13 Purkinje cells, in doses shown to be selectively antagonistic towards aminoacids. 5 These results support neurochemical evidence that glutamic acid may be the neurotransmitter released by granule cell parallel fibres.
D015074:2-Aminoadipic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000600:Amino Acids, Dicarboxylic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005971:Glutamates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011689:Purkinje Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats
D000600:Amino Acids, Dicarboxylic; D005971:Glutamates; D015074:2-Aminoadipic Acid