Effects of excitatory amino acid antagonists on evoked and spontaneous excitatory potentials in guinea‐pig hippocampus.

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Abstract
1. Evoked and spontaneous excitatory post-synaptic potentials (e.p.s.p.s) at the mossy fibre input to CA3 pyramidal neurones were recorded intracellularly in slices from the guinea-pig hippocampus. The effects of several amino acid antagonists on these responses were examined. 2. L-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyrate (L-AP4), L-serine-O-phosphate (L-SOP), kynurenate, and N-(p-bromobenzoyl)piperazine-2,3-dicarboxylate (pBB-PzDA) reduced the amplitude of evoked mossy fibre e.p.s.p.s without affecting membrane potential or input resistance. 3. Antagonism of mossy fibre spontaneous miniature e.p.s.p.s (m.e.p.s.p.s) by these compounds fell into two groups. L-AP4 and L-SOP applied at concentrations that blocked evoked e.p.s.p.s did not affect amplitude distributions of spontaneous m.e.p.s.p.s. Kynurenate and pBB-PzDA significantly affected the amplitude distributions and reduced the mean amplitude of spontaneous m.e.p.s.p.s. 4. These results are consistent with a presynaptic site of action L-AP4 and L-SOP and a post-synaptic site of action for kynurenate and pBB-PzDA as antagonists of e.p.s.p.s at the guinea-pig mossy fibre-CA3 pyramidal neurone synapse.