title: Membrane depolarization and prolongation of calcium-dependent action potentials of mouse neurons in cell culture by two convulsants: bicuculline and penicillin.
abstract: The convulsant compounds bicuculline (BICUC) and penicillin (PCN) are antagonists of GABA-mediated synaptic inhibition. In addition, we have shown that BICUC and PCN produced membrane depolarization of mouse spinal cord neurons in primary dissociated cell culture by blocking a potassium conductance, a non-synaptic direct effect. Both compounds also prolonged calcium-dependent action potentials of mouse dorsal root ganglion and spinal cord neurons in cell culture. Thus, BICUC and PCN had both synaptic and non-synaptic actions. The possibility that both synaptic and non-synaptic actions of BICUC and PCN are involved in their convulsant mechanism of action is discussed.
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D001640:Bicuculline / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005333:Fetus; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000502:physiology; D007700:Kinetics; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D010406:Penicillins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D010406:Penicillins; D002118:Calcium; D001640:Bicuculline