title: The kainate/quisqualate receptor antagonist, CNQX, blocks the fast component of spontaneous epileptiform activity in organotypic cultures of rat hippocampus.
abstract: Intracellular recordings were made from CA1 pyramidal neurones of hippocampus maintained in organotypic culture. Both spontaneous interictal and ictal epileptiform activity was observed. CNQX, an antagonist at kainate/quisqualate but not at N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-sensitive excitatory amino acid receptors depressed but did not abolish spontaneous epileptiform activity. Addition of the specific NMDA receptor antagonist D-2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate (D-APV) abolished the remaining activity. Similar effects were observed on electrically evoked excitatory post synaptic potentials (EPSPs). This suggests a role for endogenous excitatory amino acids acting at both kainate/quisqualate and NMDA sensitive excitatory amino acid receptors in the generation and maintainance of epileptiform activity within these organotypic cultures.
authors.affiliation: Parke-Davis Research Unit, Cambridge, U.K.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: McBain
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boden
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Hill
mesh_terms: D018750:6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione; D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D046508:Culture Techniques; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D011810:Quinoxalines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D018091:Receptors, AMPA; D018092:Kainic Acid Receptors; D017981:Receptors, Neurotransmitter / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
chemical_list: D018750:6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione; D011810:Quinoxalines; D018091:Receptors, AMPA; D018092:Kainic Acid Receptors; D017981:Receptors, Neurotransmitter