Kainate, N-methylaspartate and other excitatory amino acids increase calcium influx into rat brain cortex cells in vitro.
Kainate (0.62-5 mM) was found to increase the initial rate of influx of 45Ca and of 22Na into the non-inulin space of rat thin brain cortex slices incubated in vitro, and to shorten the equilibration time for both these ions. N-methyl-DL-aspartate (50-1000 microM), L-glutamate (0.62-5 mM), DL-homocysteate (0.62-2.5 mM), and ibotenate (6-170 microM) also significantly increased the influx of 45Ca into the non-inulin space of this preparation, while the non-neurotoxic acidic amino acids N-acetyl-L-aspartate, and alpha-methyl-DL-aspartate (both 1.25-5 mM), did not increase such influx. We suggest that enhanced calcium uptake may represent the basis for the neurotoxic effects of these compounds.
D000042:Absorption; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism*; D005971:Glutamates / Q000494:pharmacology; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D007051:Ibotenic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007608:Kainic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D051381:Rats
D000596:Amino Acids; D005971:Glutamates; D006710:Homocysteine; C007956:homocysteic acid; D007051:Ibotenic Acid; D001224:Aspartic Acid; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; C000179:N-acetylaspartate; D007608:Kainic Acid; D002118:Calcium