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J Neurophysiol 90: 89-99, 2003. First published March 26, 2003; doi:10.1152/jn.00612.2002
0022-3077/03 $5.00
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Benzodiazepines Block {alpha}2-Containing Inhibitory Glycine Receptors in Embryonic Mouse Hippocampal Neurons

Liu Lin Thio1,4,5,6, Ananth Shanmugam3, Keith Isenberg3 and Kelvin Yamada1,2,4,5,6

Departments of 1Neurology, 2Pediatrics, and 3Psychiatry and the 4Center for the Study of Nervous System Injury, Washington University School of Medicine; 5Division of Pediatric Neurology and the 6Pediatric Epilepsy Center, St. Louis Children's Hospital, St. Louis, Missouri 63110

Submitted 29 July 2002; accepted in final form 18 March 2003

Inhibitory glycine receptors (GlyRs) in the mammalian cortex probably contribute to brain development and to maintaining tonic inhibition. Given their presence throughout the cortex, their modulation likely has important physiological consequences. Although benzodiazepines potentiate {gamma}-aminobutyric acidA receptors (GABAARs), they may also modulate GlyRs because binding studies initially suggested that they act at GlyRs. Furthermore, their diminished ability to potentiate neonatal GABAARs suggests that they may exert their beneficial clinical effects at another site in the developing brain. Therefore we examined the effect of benzodiazepines on whole cell currents mediated by GlyRs in cultured embryonic mouse hippocampal neurons. First, we determined the GlyR subunit composition in this preparation. Glycine, {beta}-alanine, and taurine activate strychnine-sensitive chloride currents in a dose-dependent manner. Maximal concentrations of the three agonists produce equal, nonadditive responses as expected of full agonists. The pharmacological properties of the GlyR currents including their pattern of modulation by picrotoxinin, picrotin, and tropisetron indicate that GlyRs consist of {alpha}2{beta} heteromers and {alpha}2 homomers. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR) studies confirmed the presence of {alpha}2 and {beta} subunits. Second, we found that micromolar concentrations of some benzodiazepines, including chlordiazepoxide and nitrazepam, inhibit GlyR currents. Nitrazepam inhibition of GlyRs is noncompetitive, is not voltage dependent, and does not reflect enhanced desensitization. Thus benzodiazepines allosterically inhibit {alpha}2-containing GlyRs in embryonic mouse hippocampal neurons via a "low"-affinity site.

Address for reprint requests: Correspondence: Liu Lin Thio, M.D., Ph.D., Pediatric Epilepsy Center, Suite 12E47, St. Louis Children's Hospital, One Children's Place, St. Louis, MO 63110 (E-mail: thio{at}kids.wustl.edu).




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