Excitatory amino acid agonists and antagonists: pharmacology and therapeutic applications

Glutamic acid is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS). Specific receptors bind glutamate and some of these when activated open an integral ion channel and are thus known as ionotropic receptors. Within the ionotropic family of glutamate receptors, three major subtypes have been identified using classical specific agonist activation, selective competitive antagonists together with their structural heterogeneity. These receptors have thus been named N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate (AMPA) and kainate receptors. The NMDA receptor has sites in addition to its agonist-binding site and these seem to either positively or negatively modulate the agonist effect. The NMDA receptor also is unique in that another amino acid, glycine, acts as a co-agonist with glutamate. Changes in glutamate transmission have been associated with a number of CNS pathologies; these include, acute stroke, chronic neurodegeneration, chronic pain, depression, drug dependency, epilepsy, Parkinson's Disease and schizophrenia.