title: Circadian activity of the GABAergic system in the golden hamster retina.
abstract: Daily changes in gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) turnover rate were studied in the golden hamster retina. This parameter showed significant variations throughout the light-dark cycle, with minimal values during the day. Retinal glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) activity was higher at midnight than at noon. Moreover, [3H]GABA binding significantly varied throughout the 24-h cycle, with maximal values during the day. Saturation studies performed at 12:00 and 24:00 h indicated that the maximal concentration of [3H]GABA binding sites (Bmax) was significantly higher at noon, whereas the dissociation constant (Kd) remained unchanged. High K+-induced GABA release was significantly higher at midnight than at midday. Daily variations in retinal GABA turnover rate, GABA release, and in its specific binding persisted in golden hamsters exposed to constant darkness. In summary, these results support the idea of a circadian clock-controlled GABAergic activity in the hamster retina.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Neuroquímica Retiniana y Oftalmología Experimental, Departamento de Bioquímica Humana, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Paraguay 2155, 5to P, 1121, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: C O
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Jaliffa
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Saenz
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Resnik
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Keller Sarmiento
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Rosenstein
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D006224:Cricetinae; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase / Q000378:metabolism*; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011869:Radioligand Assay; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
chemical_list: D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase