title: The effects of excitatory amino acids and their antagonists on the generation of motor activity in the isolated chick spinal cord.
abstract: We have investigated the action of excitatory amino acids and their antagonists on spontaneous motor activity produced by an isolated preparation of the chick lumbosacral cord. Bath application of N-methyl-DL-aspartic acid (NMDA) or D-glutamate increased the occurrence and duration of spontaneous episodes of motor activity. Both NMDA-induced and spontaneous activity were reversibly inhibited by several excitatory amino acid antagonists including 2-amino-5-phosphono valeric acid and gamma-D-glutamyl glycine in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that motor activity in the chick spinal cord may be regulated by the release of endogenous excitatory amino acids from spinal interneurons.
mesh_terms: D015763:2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D000818:Animals; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002642:Chick Embryo; D003292:Convulsants / Q000494:pharmacology; D004151:Dipeptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007736:Kynurenic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects*; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D014633:Valine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D003292:Convulsants; D004151:Dipeptides; C028929:gamma-glutamylglycine; D001224:Aspartic Acid; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D015763:2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate; D007736:Kynurenic Acid; D014633:Valine