title: Ventral root responses of the hemisected amphibian spinal cord to perfused amino acids in the presence of procaine.
abstract: The use of the procaine-blocked hemisected spinal cord preparation to identify the primary action of amino acids and their antagonists on amphibian mononeurones is described. 2 Apart from an anomalous effect of glycine, the responses of frog spinal motoneurones to amino acids were shown to be similar to those of mammalian spinal neurones. 3 In the presence of procaine, gamma-aminobutyrate (GABA), taurine and beta-alanine caused a hyperpolarizing response, measured in ventral roots, whereas L-glutamate and, to a lesser extent, glycine caused depolarization. 4 Picrotoxin and bicuculline specifically blocked ventral root responses to GABA; strychnine blocked responses to taurine and beta-alanine but not responses to L-glutamate, glycine or GABA.
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001001:Anura; D002023:Bufo bufo; D003864:Depression, Chemical; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005971:Glutamates / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008274:Magnesium / Q000494:pharmacology; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000187:drug effects; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000187:drug effects; D010477:Perfusion; D011343:Procaine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011894:Rana pipiens; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000502:physiology*; D013126:Spinal Nerve Roots / Q000502:physiology*; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D005971:Glutamates; D013779:Tetrodotoxin; D011343:Procaine; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D008274:Magnesium