Characteristic neuronal death caused by novel excitatory amino acids

• Published in: Japanese Journal of Pharmacology 1993, Vol.61 (suppl.1), p.242-242
• Main Authors: Ishida, Michiko, Kwak, Shin, Saitoh, Tomoko, Ohfune, Yasufumi, Shirahama, Haruhisa, Shinozaki, Haruhiko
• Format: Article
• Language: eng ; jpn
• ISSN: 0021-5198
• DOI: 10.1016/S0021-5198(19)51836-4

It is well known that kainic acid induces selective neuron damage in the mammalian central neuron. Recently we found several potent excitatory amino acids which are supposed to stimulate kainate receptors, although they are not kainoids. They are derivatives of 2-(carboxycyclopropyl)glycine (CCG) and kainic acid. At present, selective and potent antagonists for kainate receptors are not yet available, and it is technically hard to ciassify excitatory amino acids as pure kainate agonists. However, it is known that C-fibers of immature rat dorsal roots are depolarized by kainate or domoate acid, but only slightly by AMPA or quisqualate, and are never depolarized by NMDA. We examined depolarizing activities of kainate receptor stimulants using the dorsal root and spinal motoneuron of newborn rats. When systemically given to the rat, they did not always demonstrate behavioral signs quite similar to kainic acid or domoic acid, and when administered intraventricularly the distribution of neuron damage in rat brain did not always coincide with that caused by kainic acid or domoic acid. These results seem very useful for classification of subtypes of kainate receptors.