Pharmacological modulation of GABAergic transmission in cultured cerebellar neurons.
GABA activates specific ion channels in post-natal cerebellar neurons in primary culture generating Cl- currents that can be recorded with the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Evoked and spontaneous GABA-mediated synaptic activity can be recorded from cells kept in culture for a few days. Benzodiazepine and beta-carboline derivatives which bind with high affinity to the domains for allosteric regulation of GABA receptors facilitated and inhibited directly applied GABA responses and synaptically evoked Cl- currents recorded under voltage-clamp.
D000818:Animals; D002243:Carbolines / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000502:physiology*; D002712:Chlorides / Q000378:metabolism; D003975:Diazepam / Q000494:pharmacology; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects*; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000502:physiology*
D002243:Carbolines; D002712:Chlorides; C034818:methyl 6,7-dimethoxy-4-ethyl-beta-carboline-3-carboxylate; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D003975:Diazepam