title: Kainic acid stimulates GABA release from a subpopulation of cerebellar astrocytes.
abstract: The effect of acute exposure to micromolar concentrations of kainic acid was studied in rat cerebellar astroglial cultures consisting of two antigenically and functionally distinct subpopulations of astrocytes. Kainate (20-100 microM) released [3H]GABA preaccumulated by A2B5-positive stellate astrocytes in a concentration-, Na+- and Ca2+-dependent way, and did not interfere with [3H]GABA transport. We hypothesize that kainate depolarizes this class of cells by activating cationic channels and that this results in an imbalance of GABAergic transmission.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D007608:Kainic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D007608:Kainic Acid