Sodium fluxes modulating neuronal glutamate uptake: differential effects of local anesthetic and anticonvulsant drugs.

Local anesthetics and anticonvulsant drugs were differentiated biochemically by quantitating their effects on aconitine- and ouabain-induced inhibition of L-[3H]glutamate uptake in synaptosomes. Amine local anesthetics reversed the inhibition by both compounds whereas the anticonvulsant drugs such as carbamazepine and diphenylhydantoin reversed the effects of aconitine but not ouabain. These results support the concept that carbamazepine and diphenylhydantoin interact with voltage-sensitive Na channels to block Na conductance whereas the amine local anesthetics are less specific in their actions.