title: Enhancement of excitant amino acid release from rat brain slices by the convulsant 3-mercaptopropionic acid.
abstract: The convulsant, 3-mercaptopropionic acid (100-1000 microM) enhanced potassium-evoked release of exogenous D-aspartate from slices of rat cerebral cortex and cerebellum, but not that from slices of hippocampus. Elevation of excitant amino acid release may contribute to the convulsant action of 3-mercaptopropionic acid. Unlike the convulsant barbiturate CHEB, 3-mercaptopropionic acid did not influence protoveratrine-stimulated release of D-aspartate and its action on potassium-evoked release appeared to be not dependent on calcium ion fluxes. Several other convulsants, including bemegride (200 microM), benzodiazepine Ro-5-3663 (100 M), nikethamide (500 microM), pentylenetetrazole (500 microM), and 4,6,6-trimethylcaprolactam (100 and 500 microM), and the glutamate decarboxylase inhibitor isoniazid (500 microM) failed to influence potassium-evoked release of D-aspartate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Skerritt
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Johnston
mesh_terms: D015097:3-Mercaptopropionic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001534:Bemegride / Q000494:pharmacology; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000494:pharmacology; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D003292:Convulsants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D026603:D-Aspartic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009552:Nikethamide / Q000494:pharmacology; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014316:Tritium
chemical_list: D003292:Convulsants; D014316:Tritium; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D009552:Nikethamide; D026603:D-Aspartic Acid; D001534:Bemegride; D015097:3-Mercaptopropionic Acid; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole