[Effect of phenazepam metabolite, 2-amino-5-bromo-2'-chlorobenzophenone, on glycine and glutamate NMDA receptors of rat hippocampal pyramidal neurones].

Action of 2-amino-5-bromo-2'-chlorobenzophenone (ABPH), a metabolite of phenazepam, on currents evoked by the activation of glycine and glutamate NMDA receptors has been investigated in enzymatically isolated hippocampal rat pyramidal neurones. It is demonstrated that 3-10 microM ABPH caused an inhibitory effect on glycine receptors which was more prominent after pre-incubation with the drug. Peak amplitude of NMDA receptor-mediated currents was weakly potentiated after prolonged (4-6 min) incubation with 10 microM ABPH.

[Adaptation of synaptic transmission to high concentrations of homocysteinic acid].

Prolonged incubation with 25 microM homocysteine acid led to initial suppression of the synaptic transmission, which in 6 out of 12 cases was followed by the restoration of the population spike to values 63% from the control. In the rest of experiments, a transient decrease of the population spike amplitude was observed during wash-out of homocysteine acid. Such a pattern suggests that synaptic transmission has special mechanisms for adaptation to increasing concentrations of the excitatory amino acids which are potentially damaging.

[Use of the acoustic startle response in the mouse to evaluate the pharmacodynamic action of ethanol].

A method of the pharmacological screening of psychotropic drugs that is based on the estimation of the peak amplitude and latency of the acoustic startle response (ASR) is suggested. A linear relationship between the changes of the ASR parameters induced by acute i.p.