title: Evidence that excitatory amino acids mediate afferent input to the primate somatosensory thalamus.
abstract: Neurons in and posterior to the primate sensory nucleus of the thalamus (VPL) were tested for excitation by iontophoretically applied excitatory amino acid agonists. In addition, in several cells the effects of iontophoretically applied excitatory amino acid antagonists on the responses to cutaneous stimuli were examined. All neurons showed responses to all agonists. The responses of several neurons to cutaneous stimuli were attenuated or blocked by local administration of receptor antagonists. These results provide initial evidence that somatosensory responses of neurons in the primate thalamus are mediated by excitatory amino acids.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins Medical School, Baltimore, MD 21287-7509, USA.
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Dougherty
authors.forename: Y J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Lenz
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rowland
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mittman
mesh_terms: D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000187:drug effects*; D000818:Animals; D018846:Excitatory Amino Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007608:Kainic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D008251:Macaca; D008297:Male; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects*; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000494:pharmacology; D013788:Thalamus / Q000187:drug effects*; D018350:alpha-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D018846:Excitatory Amino Acids; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D018350:alpha-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic Acid; D007608:Kainic Acid