A purinergic component in the central actions of meprobamate

The anxiolytic propanediol carbamate, meprobamate, potentiates the depressant actions of adenosine on the firing of rat cerebral cortical neurons. Meprobamate inhibits the uptake of adenosine by rat cortical synaptosomes at concentrations within the therapeutic range. Potentiation of endogenously released adenosine can account for many of the central actions of meprobamate.