Abstract
MK-801 is a novel, potent and selective non-competitive antagonist of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) subtype of excitatory amino acid receptors. Pretreatment of rats with MK-801 (1-10 mg/kg, i.p.) prevented neuronal degeneration in the hippocampus and striatum caused by direct intracranial injections of NMDA (20-120 nmol), but did not protect against the loss of neurones induced by kainate (2.5 nmol) injected into the striatum. Thus, MK-801 is a selective antagonist of neuronal degeneration caused by excessive stimulation of NMDA receptors in vivo.
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Aspartic Acid / analogs & derivatives*
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Aspartic Acid / antagonists & inhibitors
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Aspartic Acid / pharmacology
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Choline O-Acetyltransferase / metabolism
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Corpus Striatum / drug effects*
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Corpus Striatum / enzymology
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Dibenzocycloheptenes / pharmacology*
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Dizocilpine Maleate
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Hippocampus / drug effects*
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Hippocampus / pathology
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Kainic Acid / pharmacology
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Male
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N-Methylaspartate
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Nerve Degeneration / drug effects*
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Rats
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Rats, Inbred Strains
Substances
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Dibenzocycloheptenes
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Aspartic Acid
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N-Methylaspartate
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Dizocilpine Maleate
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Choline O-Acetyltransferase
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Kainic Acid