title: NMDA-coupled periaqueductal gray glycine receptors modulate anxioselective drug effects on plus-maze performance.
abstract: The present study was carried out to investigate a possible interaction between the effects of anxiety modulating drugs which act at the GABA-A receptor complex and selective N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) coupled glycine receptor (GLY-B receptor) ligands within the dorsal periaqueductal gray (DPAG). The plus-maze performance of rats pretreated with diazepam (0.37 and 0.75 mg/kg, i.p.) or pentylenetetrazole (15 and 30 mg/kg, i.p.), standard anxiolytic and anxiogenic drugs respectively, was assessed following intra-periaqueductal injections of either glycine (0.2 M, 0.4 microl/30 s, i.c.) or its competitive antagonist, 7-chlorokynurenic acid (7ClKYN, 0.02 M, 0.4 microl/30 s, i.c.). Whilst diazepam produced a typical anxiolytic effect in intracranially-injected CSF rats, increasing open arm exploration, pentylenetetrazole displayed an opposite anxiogenic profile. Either anxiogenic or anxiolytic effects were seen in peripherally-injected vehicle rats following intra-periaqueductal injections of glycine or 7ClKYN, respectively. Intra-periaqueductal injection of glycine markedly attenuated the anxiolytic effect of diazepam. Moreover, while the anxiogenic effects of pentylenetetrazole were barely changed by glycine, they were markedly attenuated by intra-periaqueductal injection of 7ClKYN. Interaction of diazepam and 7ClKYN produced non-selective sedative-like effects which masked any possible anxiolytic action. Accordingly, the present results suggest that the NMDA-coupled glycine receptors located in the DPAG interfere with anxioselective effects of GABA-A acting drugs on the elevated plus-maze. In spite of the prevailing notion that the NMDA coupled glycine receptor is saturated at in vivo brain concentrations of glycine, our results also suggest that either unoccupied or low-affinity GLY-B receptors are likely to be activated by glycine injection into DPAG.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmacologia/CCB, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: De Souza
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Schenberg
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de Pádua Carobrez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000523:psychology*; D001667:Binding, Competitive / Q000187:drug effects; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000494:pharmacology; D003975:Diazepam / Q000494:pharmacology; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D007736:Kynurenic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole / Q000494:pharmacology; D010487:Periaqueductal Gray / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D018009:Receptors, Glycine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000187:drug effects*; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D018009:Receptors, Glycine; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D007736:Kynurenic Acid; D003975:Diazepam; C057013:7-chlorokynurenic acid; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole