title: Glycine enhances glutamate-induced excitation in ventromedial hypothalamic neurons in awake rats.
abstract: The finding that glycine potentiates N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-mediated responses, has tremendously changed our understanding of glutamatergic synaptic transmission in the brain. Although the phenomenon has been confirmed in number of preparations, it is yet to be demonstrated in awake animals. Further, the controversy that glycine binding sites of NMDA receptor are saturated in vivo or not, can be best verified in awake animals. Here, we have demonstrated that glycine enhanced glutamate-induced neuronal discharges in the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus of awake behaving rats using microiontophoresis technique, suggesting that the glycine binding sites of NMDA receptor are not saturated under physiological conditions.
authors.affiliation: Torii Nutrient-stasis Project, Exploratory Research for Advanced Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Yokohama 221-0031, Japan. drhmallick@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Hruda Nanda
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Mallick
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kondoh
authors.forename: Hisao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nishijo
authors.forename: Taketoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ono
authors.forename: Kunio
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Torii
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005998:Glycine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000187:drug effects; D014697:Ventromedial Hypothalamic Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D014851:Wakefulness
chemical_list: D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D005998:Glycine