title: Beta-alanine potentiation of [3H]flunitrazepam binding to rat spinal cord homogenates.
abstract: The effect of beta-alanine, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and other functionally related amino acids on [3H]flunitrazepam binding to rat spinal cord homogenates was studied. beta-Alanine potentiated [3H]flunitrazepam binding by 40% and GABA by 88%. Taurine increased the binding by 19%. Hypotaurine produced an 11% increase. No significant effect was seen in glycine, alanine, serine, valine or the dipeptide carnosine. The beta-alanine increase in [3H]flunitrazepam binding was completely inhibited by 10 microM strychnine, whereas the GABA increase required 0.1 mM strychnine to be fully suppressed. Results suggest that beta-alanine specifically potentiates binding of [3H]flunitrazepam in rat spinal cord homogenates.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Investigación, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Orensanz
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Córdoba
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fernández
mesh_terms: D000409:Alanine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005445:Flunitrazepam / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D011869:Radioligand Assay; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects*; D013331:Strychnine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014316:Tritium; D015091:beta-Alanine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D014316:Tritium; D015091:beta-Alanine; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D005445:Flunitrazepam; D013331:Strychnine; D000409:Alanine