Abstract
The N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate (NMDA) receptor of rat cerebellar granule cells in primary culture is inhibited by phospholipase C‐coupled receptor activation. In the absence of ionotropic agonist, cells modulate their cytoplasmic free Ca2+, [Ca2+]c, in response to stimulation of M3 muscarinic receptors, metabotropic glutamate receptors, and endothelin receptors by the respective agonists carbachol, trans‐l‐amino‐l,3‐cyclopentanedicarboxylic acid, and endothelin‐1. The response is consistent with the ability of phospholipase C‐coupled receptors to release a pool of intracellular Ca2+ and induce a subsequent Ca2+ entry into the cell; both of these responses can be abolished by discharge of internal Ca2+ stores with low concentrations of ionomycin or thapsigargin. In the case of cells stimulated with NMDA, the [Ca2+]c response to the phospholipase C‐coupled agonists is complex and agonist dependent; however, in the presence of ionomycin each agonist produces a partial inhibition of the NMDA component of the [Ca2+]c signal. This inhibition can be mimicked by the protein kinase C activator 4β‐phorbol 12,13‐dibutyrate. It is concluded that NMDA receptors on cerebellar granule cells are inhibited by phospholipase C‐coupled muscarinic M3, glutamatergic, and endothelin receptors via activation of protein kinase C.

This publication has 67 references indexed in Scilit: