Lactones derived from kainic acid: novel selective antagonists of amino acid-induced Na+ fluxes in rat striatum slices.

The effects of amino acid lactones chemically derived from the neuroexcitant kainic acid on the response of rat striatal slices to excitatory amino acids, were studied. These compounds antagonize to varying extents the effects of kainic acid and N-methyl-D-aspartic acid but have no effect on the responses to glutamic or quisqualic acid. Some of the lactones antagonize preferentially the effects of kainic acid. This study further confirms the existence of heterogenous populations of excitatory amino acid receptors in the rat striatum.