Isovaline is a non-proteinogenic amino acid that has analgesic properties. R-isovaline is a proposed agonist of the γ-aminobutyric acid type B (GABA(B)) receptor in the thalamus and peripheral tissue. Interestingly, the responses to R-isovaline differ from those of the canonical GABA(B) receptor agonist R-baclofen, warranting further investigation. Using whole cell recording techniques we explo...

GABA(C) receptors are the least studied of the three major classes of GABA receptors. The physiological roles of GABA(C) receptors are still being unravelled and the pharmacology of these receptors is being developed. A range of agents has been described that act on GABA(C) receptors with varying degrees of specificity as agonists, partial agonists, antagonists and allosteric modulators. Pharma...

In the rat islets γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is produced by the β-cells and, at least, the α-cells express the GABA(A) receptors (GABA(A) channels). In this study, we examined in intact islets if the interstitial GABA activated the GABA(A) receptors. We used the patch-clamp technique to record whole-cell and single-channel currents and single-cell RT-PCR to identify the cell-type we recorded fr...

Blockade of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor function by direct microinjection of the GABA receptor antagonist bicuculline into the nucleus ambiguus of the brainstem produced a marked, dose-related depression of heart rate and blood pressure which was mediated by the vagus nerve. This effect was not obtained in other regions of the brainstem and was reversed by the GABA receptor agonist ...

Objective(s): Many studies have focused on ventral tegmental area than of other mesocorticolimbic areas, and implicated a key role for the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in the development of addictive behaviors. So far, the role of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors in the discriminative properties of morphine has received little attention and few studies evaluated the role of these rec...

Introduction: According to the cumulative evidence, genes encoding GABA receptors inhibit neurotransmitters in CNS and are intricately involved in the pathogenesis of mood disorders. Based on this hypothesis, these genes may be expressed in bipolar patients. As a result, we evaluated the gene expressions of GABA-β3 and HT1D receptors to assess their associations with bipolar mood disorder....

in this study, the influence of dopamine receptor agonists and antagonists on antinociception induced by bac10fen has been examined in the formalin test. the gaba-b agonist bac10fen induced antinociception in both phases of the formalin test in mice. the dopamine receptor agonists skf 38393 and quinpirole also induced antinociception in both phases of the test. skf 38393 but not quinpirole pote...

The globus pallidus occupies a critical position in the 'indirect' pathway of the basal ganglia and, as such, plays an important role in the modulation of movement. In recent years, the importance of the globus pallidus in the normal and malfunctioned basal ganglia is emerging. However, the function and operation of various transmitter systems in this nucleus are largely unknown. GABA is the ma...

We investigated expression of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate decarboxylase, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) in the prostates of patients with cancer or benign prostatic hypertrophy by immunohistochemical study. Marked expression of GABA, glutamate decarboxylase 67, and MMPs was observed in the prostates of cancer patients with metastasis (n = 72) and lymph node metastasis, althoug...

Activation or inhibition of hypothalamic GABAergic activity and immunopotentiation or immunosuppression during aging depends on the variation of the amount of dietary protein as well as the duration of its supplementation. Here we evaluate the effect of low (5%) and high (40%) protein diet on the functional state of hypothalamic GABA receptor in the aging brain in albino rats. Consumption of lo...