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Alphaxalone reveals GABAA receptor-mediated inhibition in guinea-pig ileum
C Healing1, T Hilton, M Simmonds
1Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, University of London, UK.
The Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology
|June 1, 1989
Abstract:
Contractions of the transmurally stimulated guinea-pig ileum were not affected by 10 microM bicuculline, a competitive GABAA receptor antagonist. The GABAA potentiator alphaxalone depressed the responses to 2 and 20 Hz stimulation by 20% and 40%, respectively, but had no effect on 0.2 Hz responses. The depressions were prevented by 10 microM bicuculline. This suggests that endogenous activation of GABAA receptors during transmural stimulation was normally subthreshold but, when pharmacologically potentiated, inhibitory effects were seen.