title: Ionotropic glutamate receptors and nitric oxide synthesis in the rat striatum.
abstract: A population of interneurones in the rat striatum contain neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS). The nitric oxide (NO)-cGMP pathway may modulate neurotransmission in this brain area but little is known about the physiological stimulator(s) of nNOS in striatal neurones. Exposure of intact striatal slices to N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) (100 microM, 8 min) caused an almost two-fold increase in cGMP levels (EC50 approximately 25 microM), which was inhibited by the nNOS inhibitor N-omega-L-nitroarginine (IC50 approximately 70 nM) and by removing external Ca2+. Neither (S)-alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate (AMPA) nor the kainate receptor agonist (2S,4R)-4-methylglutamate increased basal cGMP levels. Thus, glutamatergic striatal inputs could stimulate a NO-cGMP pathway in the striatum via NMDA receptors but not via AMPA or kainate receptors.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuroscience, School of Biological Sciences, Manchester University, UK.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: East
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Parry-Jones
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Brotchie
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005971:Glutamates / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D017072:Neostriatum / Q000378:metabolism*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D019335:Nitroarginine / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018091:Receptors, AMPA / Q000819:agonists / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate / Q000502:physiology*; D018092:Kainic Acid Receptors / Q000819:agonists / Q000502:physiology; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000819:agonists / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium; D006152:Cyclic GMP; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005971:Glutamates; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D019335:Nitroarginine; D018091:Receptors, AMPA; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate; D018092:Kainic Acid Receptors; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; C046105:4-methylglutamic acid