Excitatory amino acids as transmitter candidates of vibrissae afferent fibres to the rat trigeminal nucleus caudalis.
Responses of single neurones to vibrissal stimulation and to the iontophoretically applied putative neurotransmitters, L-glutamate and L-aspartate, were recorded in the trigeminal nucleus caudalis of the rat. Vibrissal responses were unaffected by the specific N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, D-alpha-aminoadipate, but were antagonized by the broad-spectrum amino acid antagonist cis-2,3-piperidine dicarboxylate. These findings suggest that the neurotransmitter of vibrissae afferent fibres may be an endogenous excitatory amino acid acting at a receptor other than the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor.
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005971:Glutamates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D014275:Trigeminal Caudal Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D014278:Trigeminal Nuclei / Q000502:physiology*
D005971:Glutamates; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D001224:Aspartic Acid