Glutamate receptor agonists cause efflux of endogenous neuroactive amino acids from cerebellar neurons in culture.

Cultured neurons from rat cerebellum were used to examine the effects of glutamate receptor agonists on the release of endogenous amino acids and adenosine. Kainic acid exposure resulted in the release of glutamate, taurine, GABA and alanine in a dose- and calcium-dependent manner. Stimulation with quisqualic acid resulted in the dose- and calcium-dependent release of GABA. N-Methyl aspartic acid did not elicit the release of any neuroactive amino acids. These findings suggest that N-methyl aspartate receptors are not coupled to transmitter release in these cultures, and that kainate and quisqualate receptors may have different neuronal distributions.