[The receptors involved in the excitatory effects of kynurenines]

There is presented a brief review of the authors' and literature data on the excitatory and convulsant effects of kynurenines, mainly 1-kynurenine and quinolinic acid. Particular attention is given to the interactions of kynurenines with the excitatory and inhibitory amino acids, their receptors, benzodiazepine receptor complex, catecholamines, serotonin, acetylcholine. The following trends of studies on the neuroactivity of kynurenines seem to be promising: isolation of specific binding sites for the most active kynurenines--kynurenine, quinolinic and kynurenic acids, the interaction with other endogenous convulsants like beta-carbolines, endorphines, folates, etc., the search of the brain structures triggering or deferring the excitatory and convulsant effects of kynurenines.