The effects of glycine on NMDA antagonism by a series of excitatory amino acid antagonists were tested in two functional in vitro models: NMDA induced [3H]GABA release from cultured mouse cortical neurons and NMDA evoked spreading depression in chick retina. In both models glycine reversed the NMDA antagonism by HA-966. Also NMDA block by kynurenic acid and by DNQX were partly reversed by glycine. However, CNQX, D-APV, ketamine and MK 801 showed the same NMDA antagonism in the absence and presence of glycine.