Inhibitory Action of Nebracetam on Various Stimuli-Evoked Increases in Intracellular Ca2+ Concentrations in Cultured Rat Cerebellar Granule Cells

• Published in: Japanese journal of pharmacology Vol. 67; no. 1; pp. 87 - 90
• Main Authors: Kataoka, Yasufumi, Kohno, Yasuko, Watanabe, Yasuo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kyoto The Japanese Pharmacological Society 1995; Japanese Pharmacological Society
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Calcium - metabolism; Cells, Cultured; Cerebellar granule cell (cultured); Cerebellum; Evoked Potentials - drug effects; Glutamic Acid - pharmacology; Intracellular Ca2+ concentration; Medical sciences; N-Methylaspartate - pharmacology; Nebracetam; Neuropharmacology; Parasympathomimetics - pharmacology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Potassium Compounds - pharmacology; Psychoanaleptics: cns stimulant, antidepressant agent, nootropic agent, mood stabilizer..., (alzheimer disease); Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopharmacology; Pyrrolidinones - pharmacology; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Nebracetam; Intracellular Ca2+ concentration; Cerebellar granule cell (cultured); Cerebellum; Cell culture; Granule neuron; Rat; Psychotropic; Rodentia; Central nervous system; Neuroprotective agent; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Calcium ion; Animal; Nootropic agent; Intracellular; Brain (vertebrata)
• ISSN: 0021-5198; 1347-3506
• DOI: 10.1254/jjp.67.87

Nebracetam (10-100 μΜ) dose-dependently inhibited increases in intracellular Ca2+ concentrations evoked by various stimuli in cultured rat cerebellar granule cells. The magnitude of the nebracetam (100 μM)-induced inhibition of L-glutamate- and N-methyl-D-aspartate-evoked Ca2+ responses was 1.5-fold and 1.7-fold greater, respectively, than the inhibition of the high K+-evoked response. These findings suggest that in cultured cerebellar granule cells, nebracetam attenuates the external Ca2+ influx derived from the activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-gated rather than voltage-gated Ca2+ channels.