Acetylcholine potentiates responses to N-methyl-D-aspartate in the rat hippocampus

• Published in: Neuroscience letters (ISSN: 0304-3940), vol. 113, num. 1, p. 62-5
• Publication date: 1990

The effect of acetylcholine (ACh) on intracellular responses to ionophoretic application of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) was examined in rat hippocampal slice. Recordings were obtained from CA1 neurons under current- and voltage-clamp conditions. Drugs were applied topically by ionophoretic and microdrop techniques. ACh produced an atropine-sensitive potentiation of responses to NMDA. The effect of ACh on NMDA receptor-mediated responses was independent of changes in voltage or potassium conductances caused by ACh. ACh also potentiated responses to L-glutamate but not to kainate or quisqualate. This effect was blocked by DL-2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate (2-APV), an NMDA receptor antagonist. We conclude that ACh, acting on muscarinic receptors, potentiates selectively, the NMDA subclass of L-glutamate receptor.

Reference

• EPFL-ARTICLE-183425
• View record in PubMed

Record created on 2013-01-28, modified on 2017-05-12