title: GABAAReceptors of Cerebellar Granule Cells in Culture: Interaction with Benzodiazepines.
abstract: GABAAreceptor mediated inhibition plays an important role in modulating the input/output dynamics of cerebellum. A characteristic of cerebellar GABAAreceptors is the presence in cerebellar granule cells of subunits such as α6 and δ which give insensitivity to classical benzodiazepines. In fact, cerebellar GABAAreceptors have generally been considered a poor model for testing drugs which potentially are active at the benzodiazepine site. In this overview we show how rat cerebellar granule cells in culture may be a useful model for studying new benzodiazepine site agonists. This is based on the pharmacological separation of diazepam-sensitive α1 β2/3 γ2 receptors from those which are diazepam-insensitive and contain the α6 subunit. This is achieved by utilizing furosemide/Zn2+which block α6 containing and incomplete receptors.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Genova, Via Dodecaneso 33, 16146, Genoa, Italy, aroldo.cupello@unige.it.
authors.forename: Aroldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cupello
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Braccio
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gatta
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grossi
authors.forename: Periklis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nikas
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pellistri
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Robello