Glutamate uptake by brain slices and its relation to the depolarization of neurones by acidic amino acids

Abstract

Abstract Uptake of L ‐glutamate into rat brain slices from media containing either 10 −3 or 10 −8 M labelled L ‐glutamate is not inhibited by (a) excitant amino acids which have an appreciably greater depolarizing action on central neurones than that of L ‐glutamate, (b) antagonists of L ‐glutamate induced excitation of central neurones, or (c) tetrodotoxin in concentrations which inhibit the sodium ion influx into brain slices produced by L ‐glutamate and other excitant amino acids. It is concluded that uptake of L ‐glutamate is independent of both the tetrodotoxin‐insensitive depolarization and the tetrodotoxin‐sensitive sodium ion influx induced by L ‐glutamate.