Selective inhibition of homocysteine-induced seizures by glutamic acid diethyl ester and other glutamate esters.

Homocysteine thiolactone causes convulsions when administered to animals, and has recently been reported to have excitatory effects on neurons in the central nervous system. Glutamic acid diethyl ester (GDEE) has previously been found to be an effective antagonist of the central excitation induced by homocysteine and is thought to be a selective antagonist of the quisqualate-sensitive excitatory amino-acid-receptor site. If an interaction of homocysteine with the quisqualate-sensitive receptor site is responsible for its convulsive properties, GDEE might also block the induction of seizures by homocysteine. GDEE in a dosage of 4 mmol/kg almost completely blocked homocysteine-induced seizures in mice; smaller dosages had no effect or only slight inhibitory effects. Glutamic acid dimethyl ester (GDME) and glutamic acid gamma-methyl ester (GMME) also partially blocked homocysteine-induced seizures, but monosodium glutamate and glutamic acid gamma-monoethyl ester (GMEE) had only a slight effect. None of the glutamate esters inhibited seizures induced by pentylenetetrazole. It is therefore suggested that certain types of seizures involve the quisqualic acid excitatory amino-acid-receptor site. Homocysteine-induced seizures may serve as a model of seizures of this type, and GDEE, GDME, and GMME may be effective antagonists of such seizures.