Classification of inhibitory amino acid receptors in the mammalian nervous system.
Electrophysiological and pharmacological evidence is summarized for the existence of an inhibitory receptor system operated by glycine and another two separate systems operated by gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) through GABA-A and GABA-B receptors, respectively. Claims for subclasses of GABA-A receptor are critically reviewed and found not-proven. A quantitative pharmacological profile of the GABA-A receptor and associated regulatory sites for picrotoxin, barbiturates and benzodiazepines on the dorsal funiculus of the rat cuneate nucleus is described. When compared with this profile and the pharmacological properties of the glycine receptor complex, the effects of taurine cannot be entirely explained by actions on these two receptor systems.
D000818:Animals; D001463:Barbiturates / Q000494:pharmacology; D001640:Bicuculline / Q000494:pharmacology; D005479:Flurazepam / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D009118:Muscimol / Q000494:pharmacology; D009420:Nervous System / Q000032:analysis*; D010852:Picrotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000032:analysis* / Q000187:drug effects; D018009:Receptors, Glycine; D017981:Receptors, Neurotransmitter / Q000187:drug effects; D013654:Taurine / Q000494:pharmacology
D001463:Barbiturates; D001640:Bicuculline; D005479:Flurazepam; D009118:Muscimol; D010852:Picrotoxin; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D018009:Receptors, Glycine; D017981:Receptors, Neurotransmitter; D013654:Taurine