Pharmacological evidence for an involvement of group II and group III mGluRs in the presynaptic regulation of excitatory synaptic responses in the CA1 region of rat hippocampal slices.
The actions of four mGluR antagonists, (+)-MCPG, MAP4, MCCG and (S)-4CPG, were evaluated against agonist-induced depressions of synaptic transmission at the Schaffer collateral-commissural pathway in rat hippocampal slices. (+)-MCPG (1 mM) reversed very effectively depressions of field EPSPs induced by (1S,3R)-ACPD and (1S,3S)-ACPD but had weak and variable effects on depressions induced by L-AP4. It had no effect on depressions induced by either (-)-baclofen or carbachol. In contrast, MAP4 (500 microM) reversed very effectively depressions induced by L-AP4 without affecting depressions induced by (1S,3S)-ACPD. MCCG (1 mM) had the opposite activity; it antagonized depressions induced by (1S,3S)-ACPD but not those induced by L-AP4. Finally, (S)-4CPG (1 mM) reversed small depressions of field EPSPs induced by high concentrations (50-100 microM) of (1S,3R)- and (1S,3S)-ACPD, but not L-AP4, whilst having no effect on large depressions induced by 10 microM (1S,3S)-ACPD in voltage-clamped cells. These results confirm and extend the effectiveness and selectivity of (+)-MCPG as an mGluR antagonist. The divergent effects of the group I antagonist, (S)-4CPG, can be explained by an indirect action on postsynaptic receptors which is manifest when high agonist concentrations are used in non-voltage-clamp experiments. The action of MCCG and MAP4 indicates that two pharmacologically-distinct mGluRs, belonging to classes II and III, can regulate synaptic transmission in the CA1 region via presynaptic mechanisms.
Department of Anatomy, University of Bristol, School of Medical Sciences, U.K.
M
M
Vignes
V R
VR
Clarke
C H
CH
Davies
A
A
Chambers
D E
DE
Jane
J C
JC
Watkins
G L
GL
Collingridge
D000818:Animals; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018846:Excitatory Amino Acids / Q000502:physiology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000187:drug effects*; D017661:Receptors, Presynaptic / Q000187:drug effects*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects
D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D018846:Excitatory Amino Acids; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate; D017661:Receptors, Presynaptic