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Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Glutamate and Hypoxia as a Stress Model for the Isolated Perfused Vertebrate Retina
Published on: March 22, 2015
Non-competitive NMDA-receptor antagonists and anoxic degeneration of the ERG B-wave in vitro
J C Huang1, T E Salt, M J Voaden
1Institute of Ophthalmology, London.
Abstract:
Studies have been undertaken to see if the non-competitive NMDA antagonists, ketamine, MK-801 and dextromethorphan would preserve the b-wave of the electroretinogram (ERG) in vitro. The drugs had no effect on the ERG b-wave, nor prolonged its survival postmortem. The present results support previous evidence suggesting that NMDA-receptors are not involved directly in synaptic transmission between photoreceptors and ON-bipolar cells. Further, loss of the b-wave in post-mortem anoxia does not appear to be mediated via NMDA-receptors.
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