Indirect effects of amino-acids on sympathetic ganglion cells mediated through the release of gamma-aminobutyric acid from glial cells

The effect of conformationally restricted amino acid. Analogues on the frog spinal cord in vitro

1 The isolated spinal cord of the frog (Rana pipiens) was used to examine the structural requirement for the activity of neutral amino acids. The potencies of the aliphatic amino acids, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), beta-alanine and glycine were compared with the potencies of conformationally restricted cyclopentane and cyclohexane amino acid analogues. Both motoneurone hyperpolarizing and primary afferent depolarizing activity were examined in this study. 2 On motoneurones beta-alanine was the most potent aliphatic amino acid and glycine the least potent. Of the substituted aminocyclopentane carboxylic acids, that compound with a separation of amino and carboxylic acid groups closest to that of the extended GABA molecule (4.74 A) had a potency similar to GABA. As the separation decreased the hyperpolarizing activity fell off rapidly. The substituted aminocyclohexane carboxylic acids were generally inactive even at a concentration of 10 mM. 3 Strychnine blocked the motoneurone hyperpolarizing responses to all compounds with a distance between the amino and carboxylic acid groups of 3.66 A or less, but did not block the response of compounds with a distance of 4.08 A or greater. Picrotoxin and bicuculline antagonized all the responses to varying degrees and therefore were of little value in characterizing the responses. 4 On the primary afferents GABA was the most potent aliphatic amino acid and glycine the least potent. The substituted aminocyclohexane carboxylic acids were generally inactive on primary afferents. The response of the substituted aminocyclopentane carboxylic acid whose separation of amino and carboxylic acid groups was closest to that of the extended GABA molecule was most similar to the GABA response. However, (+/-)-cis-3-aminocyclopentane-carboxylic acid (separation=4.08 A),which mimicked the action of GABA on motoneurones, closely mimicked the depolarizing action of beta-alanine on primary afferents. 5 The findings suggest that the hyperpolarizing GABA receptor on motoneurones will accept a molecule whose amino and carboxylic acid groups are separated by a distance of 4.08 A or greater while the glycine receptor will accept a compound with a distance of 3.66 A or less. The depolarizing GABA receptors on primary afferents appear to be more selective since they are not activated by (+/-)-cis-3-aminocyclopentane carboxylic acid (separation = 4.08 A), while the motoneurone receptors are.

Influence of neuroglial transport on the action of gamma-aminobutyric acid on mammalian ganglion cells

1 The effect of inhibiting the transport of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) by neuroglial cells on the depolarizing action of exogenous amino acids on isolated superior cervical ganglia of the rat was studied. 1 Transport (measured by uptake of [3H]-GABA) was inhibited by (a) reducing external [na+] from 143 to 2mM and (b) administering alternative carrier-sbustrates, 3-amino-n-butyric acid (beta-amino-butyric acid, BABA) and (+/-)-nipecotic acid at a concentration of 1 mM. 3 All three procedures enhanced the depolarization produced by low concentrations of GABA (less than or equal to 10 muM) but did not alter the maximum response, nor the response to 3-aminopropanesulphonic acid (a gabamimetic with low affinity for the neuroglial carrier). 4 It is concluded that the neuroglial uptake process can limit the action of exogenous GABA upon neurones, by reducing the interstitial GABA concentration.

Stereospecificity of 2,4-diaminobutyric acid with respect to inhibition of 4-aminobutyric acid uptake and binding

S(+)-2,4-Diaminobutyric acid is at least 20 times more potent than the R(-) stereoisomer as an inhibitor of the sodium-dependent uptake of 4-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in rat brain slices. Both isomers, however, are equipotent as inhibitors of sodium-independent binding of GABA to membranes from rat brain. The latter finding may be relevant to the reported neurotoxicity in rats of both isomers of 2,4-diaminobutyric acid after intracisternal injection.