title: The effects of potassium channel blocking agents on the responses of in vitro frog motoneurones to glutamate and other excitatory amino acids: an intracellular study.
abstract: Intracellular recordings were obtained from motoneurones of the slice preparation of the in vitro frog spinal cord to assess the participation of K+ channels in the generation of amino acid-induced excitation. The amino acids were applied by fast superfusion and at low temperature to reduce their uptake processes. Intracellular Cs+, bath-applied tetraethylammonium or 4-aminopyridine prolonged the spike and blocked its afterhyperpolarizations. Tetraethylammonium and 4-aminopyridine enhanced the synaptic activation of motoneurones which could be abolished by including Mn2+ in the superfusion fluid. Mn2+ reduced the duration of action potentials already prolonged by 4-aminopyridine but appeared to cause plateaus to develop on tetraethylammonium-prolonged spikes. The hypothesis that amino acids depolarize motoneurones by closing K+ channels was tested by observing the effects of K+ channel blocking agents on amino acid responses. Neither tetraethylammonium nor 4-aminopyridine reduced the excitatory depolarizations evoked by glutamate, N-methyl-D-aspartate, quisqualate or DL-homocysteate. Intracellular Cs+ blocked responses to amino acids irrespective of their receptor preference; an action which has been interpreted as non-specific.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Arenson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nistri
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects; D005971:Glutamates / Q000494:pharmacology; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000187:drug effects*; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D010069:Oxadiazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism*; D016318:Quisqualic Acid; D011896:Rana temporaria; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D005971:Glutamates; D007473:Ion Channels; D010069:Oxadiazoles; D006710:Homocysteine; D001224:Aspartic Acid; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D016318:Quisqualic Acid; D011188:Potassium