The Effect of 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde on the γ-aminobutyric Acid Type A Receptor.

The αβγ subtype of GABA receptors is the most commonly found GABA receptor subtype in the mammalian cortex and hippocampus. It is expressed heterologously in the Xenopus laevis oocyte as a αβγS/L subtype for application as an in vitro model for the screening of compounds that modulate receptor activities. In fact, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (4-HB) has been identified as one of the major components in Dendrocalamus asper bamboo shoots in our previous study, and the current study showed that at 101.7 μM, 4-HB significantly reduced the GABA-induced chloride current of GABA receptors expressed on Xenopus oocytes, indicating a possible GABAergic antagonistic effect at high concentrations.