1-Methylisoguanosine: interaction with central adenosine receptors and lack of antagonism of its in vivo effects by a benzodiazepine antagonist.

1-Methylisoguanosine, a marine natural product analogue of adenosine, with moderate activity as a benzodiazepine receptor ligand, has previously been shown to have muscle-relaxant and hypothermic activity in mice in vivo. The present experiments showed that the benzodiazepine antagonist Ro15-1788 did not block the in vivo muscle-relaxant and hypothermic effects of 1-methylisoguanosine, suggesting that these particular actions are not due to interactions with benzodiazepine receptors. When applied by microiontophoresis near spontaneously-active neurones or neurones activated by ACh, DL-homocysteate or glutamate in the ventrobasal thalamus of anaesthetized rats, 1-methylisoguanosine had a depressant action; it was similar to adenosine in potency and in its ability to be antagonized by 8-(parasulphophenyl)theophylline. The depression was usually longer lasting than that caused by adenosine, consistent with previous neurochemical data showing it to be resistant to adenosine deaminase and a poor substrate for the uptake system for adenosine in the CNS. These results suggest that the major pharmacological/behavioural actions of 1-methylisoguanosine in vivo are more likely to be caused by an interaction with adenosine receptors, rather than with benzodiazepine sites.

The excitation of mammalian central neurones by amino acids.

1. The relative potencies of a number of analogues of L-glutamate as excitants of thalamic neurones in the rat have been compared. The most powerful compounds were kainate, ibotenate and (+/-)cis-1-amino-1,3-dicarboxycyclopentane. The D- and L-isomers of glutamate and aspartate were also compared. Whereas D-glutamate is approximately one-half as active as the L-form, D-aspartate is more potent than L-aspartate. 2. Computer analysis has indicated that ibotenate and cis-1-amino-1,3-dicarboxy-cyclopentane have relatively fixed and similar C alpha-N, Comega-N and C alpha-Comega interatomic distances which can also be achieved by glutamate in certain conformations of the molecule, but not by aspartate. 3. Parallel examination of the antagonists glutamate diethylester and D-alpha-aminoadipate has shown that the former preferentially reduces L-glutamate effects while the latter blocks the actions of other amino acid excitants more readily than those of L-glutamate. 4. The evidence is consistent with the hypothesis that at least two populations of neuronal receptors for the excitatory amino acids exist.

Ranking of excitatory amino acids by the antagonists glutamic acid diethylester and D-alpha-aminoadipic acid.

A separation of the excitatory actions of the amino acids upon thalamic neurones of rats anaesthetized with urethane has been accomplished through the use of two antagonists. It has been possible to rank the excitatory compounds in their order of susceptibility to D-alpha-aminoadipic acid (DalphaAA) and L-glutamic acid diethylester (GDEE). The observation that the ranking orders of the excitants differ for these two antagonists permits an analysis of the types of receptors with which the amino acid excitants react. The results support the proposition that more than one neuronal receptor sensitive to the amino acids exists.

Morphine, naloxone and the responses of medial thalamic neurones of the cat.

Administered electrophoretically morphine depressed the firing of medial thalamic neurones. This effect was not antagonized by naloxone which itself was a depressant. A long lasting increase in sensitivity to L-glutamate followed ejection of both morphine and naloxone. Intravenous morphine, 0.5-1.5 mg/kg, had inconstant effects on spontaneous firing that evoked by electrical stimulation of the forepaws but in 7 of 10 experiments reduced the sensitivity of neurones to L-glutamate. This effect was reversed in all cases by intravenous naloxone, 0.3 mg/kg

Effects of opiate agonists and antagonists on central neurons of the cat.

Morphine, naloxone, nalorphine, levorphanol, dextrorphan and levallorphan were ejected electrophoretically from micropipettes near cholinoceptive and noncholinoceptive cells of the spinal cord, ventrobasal thalamus and cerebral cortex of decerebrate and barbiturate-anesthetized cats. Morphine excited those cells having nicotinic receptors for acetylcholine. Naloxone and nalorphine reduced the action of morphine and acetylcholine on these cells but not the effects of excitant amino acids. Levorphanol excited spinal neurons also excited by acetylcholine, an effect antagonized by naloxone, but also showed atropine-like activity when ejected for prolonged periods. Dextrorphan depressed the firing of both cholinoceptive and noncholinoceptive spinal neurons. Levallorphan reduced the effects of both acetylcholine and excitant amino acids on spinal neurons. The depressant effects of morphine and levorphanol on noncholinoceptive spinal neurons were not antagonized by naloxone.