Open channel block and alteration of N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor gating by an analog of phencyclidine

Historical Pathways for Opioid Addiction, Withdrawal with Traditional and Alternative Treatment Options with Ketamine, Cannabinoids, and Noribogaine: A Narrative Review

Even as prescription opioid dispensing rates have begun to decrease, the use of illicit opioids such as heroin and fentanyl has increased. Thus, the end of the opioid epidemic is not in sight, and treating patients that are addicted to opioids remains of utmost importance. Currently, the primary pharmacotherapies used to treat opioid addiction over the long term are the opioid antagonist naltrexone, the partial-agonist buprenorphine, and the full agonist methadone. Naloxone is an antagonist used to rapidly reverse opioid overdose. While these treatments are well-established and used regularly, the gravity of the opioid epidemic necessitates that all possible avenues of treatment be explored. Therefore, in this narrative review, we analyze current literature regarding use of the alternative medications ketamine, noribogaine, and cannabinoids in treating patients suffering from opioid use disorder. Beyond its use as an anesthetic, ketamine has been shown to have many applications in several medical specialties. Of particular interest to the subject at hand, ketamine is promising in treating individuals addicted to opioids, alcohol, and cocaine. Therapeutically administered cannabinoids have been proposed for the treatment of multiple illnesses. These include, but are not limited to epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain conditions, anxiety disorders, and addiction. The cannabinoid dronabinol has been seen to have varying effects. High doses appear to reduce withdrawal symptoms but this comes at the expense of increased adverse side effects such as sedation and tachycardia. Noribogaine is a weak MOR antagonist and relatively potent KOR agonist, which may explain the clinical anti-addictive effects. More research should be done to assess the viability of these medications for the treatment of OUD and withdrawal.

Application and assessment of deep learning for the generation of potential NMDA receptor antagonists

Uncompetitive antagonists of the N-methyl d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) have demonstrated therapeutic benefit in the treatment of neurological diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, but some also cause dissociative effects that have led to the synthesis of illicit drugs. The ability to generate NMDAR antagonists in silico is therefore desirable for both new medication development and preempting and identifying new designer drugs. Recently, generative deep learning models have been applied to de novo drug design as a means to expand the amount of chemical space that can be explored for potential drug-like compounds. In this study, we assess the application of a generative model to the NMDAR to achieve two primary objectives: (i) the creation and release of a comprehensive library of experimentally validated NMDAR phencyclidine (PCP) site antagonists to assist the drug discovery community and (ii) an analysis of both the advantages conferred by applying such generative artificial intelligence models to drug design and the current limitations of the approach. We apply, and provide source code for, a variety of ligand- and structure-based assessment techniques used in standard drug discovery analyses to the deep learning-generated compounds. We present twelve candidate antagonists that are not available in existing chemical databases to provide an example of what this type of workflow can achieve, though synthesis and experimental validation of these compounds are still required.

Interplay between Gating and Block of Ligand-Gated Ion Channels

Drugs that inhibit ion channel function by binding in the channel and preventing current flow, known as channel blockers, can be used as powerful tools for analysis of channel properties. Channel blockers are used to probe both the sophisticated structure and basic biophysical properties of ion channels. Gating, the mechanism that controls the opening and closing of ion channels, can be profoundly influenced by channel blocking drugs. Channel block and gating are reciprocally connected; gating controls access of channel blockers to their binding sites, and channel-blocking drugs can have profound and diverse effects on the rates of gating transitions and on the stability of channel open and closed states. This review synthesizes knowledge of the inherent intertwining of block and gating of excitatory ligand-gated ion channels, with a focus on the utility of channel blockers as analytic probes of ionotropic glutamate receptor channel function.

Hydroxynorketamine Blocks N-Methyl-d-Aspartate Receptor Currents by Binding to Closed Receptors

Ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic, is experiencing a clinical resurgence as a fast-acting antidepressant. In the central nervous system, ketamine acts primarily by blocking NMDA receptor currents. Although it is generally safe in a clinical setting, it can be addictive, and several of its derivatives are being investigated as preferable alternatives. 2R,6R-Hydroxynorketamine (HNK), a ketamine metabolite, reproduces some of the therapeutic effects of ketamine and appears to lack abuse liability. Here, we report a systematic investigation of the effects of HNK on macroscopic responses elicited from recombinant NMDA receptors expressed in human embryonic kidney 293 cells. We found that, like ketamine, HNK reduced NMDA receptor currents in a dose-, pH-, and voltage-dependent manner. Relative to ketamine, it had 100-fold-lower potency (46 µM at pH 7.2), 10-fold-slower inhibition onset, slower apparent dissociation rate, weaker voltage dependence, and complete competition by magnesium. Notably, HNK inhibition was fully effective when applied to resting receptors. These results revealed unexpected properties of hydroxynorketamine that warrant its further investigation as a possible therapeutic in pathologies associated with NMDA receptor dysfunction. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: NMDA receptors are excitatory ion channels with fundamental roles in synaptic transmission and plasticity, and their dysfunction associates with severe neuropsychiatric disorders. 2R,6R-Hydroxynorketamine, a metabolite of ketamine, mimics some of the neuroactive properties of ketamine and may lack its abuse liability. Results show that 2R,6R-hydroxynorketamine blocks NMDA receptor currents with low affinity and weak voltage dependence and is effective when applied to resting receptors. These properties highlight its effectiveness to a subset of NMDA receptor responses and recommend it for further investigation.

PSD-95 Serine 73 phosphorylation is not required for induction of NMDA-LTD

PSD-95 is a major scaffolding protein of the post-synaptic density (PSD) of a glutamatergic synapse. PSD-95, via interactions with stargazin, anchors AMPA receptors at the synapse and regulates AMPAR currents. The expression of PSD-95 is regulated during synaptic plasticity. It is, however, unknown whether this regulation is required for induction of functional plasticity of glutamatergic synapses. Here, we show that NMDA-induced long-term depression of synaptic transmission (NMDA-LTD) is accompanied by downregulation of PSD-95 protein levels. Using pharmacologic and molecular manipulations, we further demonstrate that the NMDA-induced downregulation of PSD-95 depends on the activation of CaMKII and CaMKII-driven phosphorylation of PSD-95 serine 73. Surprisingly, neither CaMKII activity nor CaMKII-dependent phosphorylation of PSD-95 serine 73 are required for the expression of NMDA-LTD. These results support the hypothesis that synaptic plasticity of AMPARs may occur without dynamic regulation of PSD-95 protein levels.

Ketamine applications beyond anesthesia - A literature review

Ketamine's clinical use began in the 1970s. Physicians benefited from its safety and ability to induce short-term anesthesia and analgesia. The psychodysleptic effects caused by the drug called its further clinical use into question. Despite these unpleasant effects, ketamine is still applied in veterinary medicine, field medicine, and specialist anesthesia. Recent intensive research brought into light new possible applications of this drug. It began to be used in acute, chronic and cancer pain management. Most interesting reports come from research on the antidepressive and antisuicidal properties of ketamine giving hope for the creation of an effective treatment for major depressive disorder. Other reports highlight the possible use of ketamine in treating addiction, asthma and preventing cancer growth. Besides clinical use, the drug is also applied to in animal model of schizophrenia. It seems that nowadays, with numerous possible applications, the use of ketamine has returned; to its former glory. Nevertheless, the drug must be used with caution because still the mechanisms by which it executes its functions and long-term effects of its use are not fully known. This review aims to discuss the well-known and new promising applications of ketamine.

Effects of Mg2+ on recovery of NMDA receptors from inhibition by memantine and ketamine reveal properties of a second site

Memantine and ketamine are NMDA receptor (NMDAR) open channel blockers that are thought to act via similar mechanisms at NMDARs, but exhibit divergent clinical effects. Both drugs act by entering open NMDARs and binding at a site deep within the ion channel (the deep site) at which the endogenous NMDAR channel blocker Mg2+ also binds. Under physiological conditions, Mg2+ increases the IC50s of memantine and ketamine through competition for binding at the deep site. Memantine also can inhibit NMDARs after associating with a second site accessible in the absence of agonist, a process termed second site inhibition (SSI) that is not observed with ketamine. Here we investigated the effects of 1 mM Mg2+ on recovery from inhibition by memantine and ketamine, and on memantine SSI, of the four main diheteromeric NMDAR subtypes. We found that: recovery from memantine inhibition depended strongly on the concentration of memantine used to inhibit the NMDAR response; Mg2+ accelerated recovery from memantine and ketamine inhibition through distinct mechanisms and in an NMDAR subtype-dependent manner; and Mg2+ occupation of the deep site disrupted memantine SSI in a subtype-dependent manner. Our results support the hypothesis that memantine associates with, but does not inhibit at the second site. After associating with the second site, memantine can either slowly dissociate directly to the extracellular solution, or transit to the deep site, resulting in typical channel block. Memantine's relatively slow dissociation from the second site underlies the dependence of NMDAR recovery from inhibition on both memantine concentration and on Mg2+.

NMDA receptors: linking physiological output to biophysical operation

NMDA receptors are preeminent neurotransmitter-gated channels in the CNS, which respond to glutamate in a manner that integrates multiple external and internal cues. They belong to the ionotropic glutamate receptor family and fulfil unique and crucial roles in neuronal development and function. These roles depend on characteristic response kinetics, which reflect the operation of the receptors. Here, we review biologically salient features of the NMDA receptor signal and its mechanistic origins. Knowledge of distinctive NMDA receptor biophysical properties, their structural determinants and physiological roles is necessary to understand the physiological and neurotoxic actions of glutamate and to design effective therapeutics.

Single-channel recording of glutamate receptors

Highlighted in this unit are issues that should be considered when recording glutamate receptors at the single-channel level, including some commonly encountered problems and their remedies. "UNIT 11.17, Single-Channel Analysis of Glutamate Receptors" describes analysis techniques used to characterize the recorded single-channel properties.

The role of the hippocampo-prefrontal cortex system in phencyclidine-induced psychosis: a model for schizophrenia

Phencyclidine (PCP) is a psychotomimetic drug that induces schizophrenia-like symptoms in healthy individuals and exacerbates pre-existing symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. PCP also induces behavioral and cognitive abnormalities in non-human animals, and PCP-treated animals are considered a reliable pharmacological model of schizophrenia. However, the exact neural mechanisms by which PCP modulates behavior are not known. During the last decade several studies have indicated that disturbed activity of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) may be closely related to PCP-induced psychosis. Systemic administration of PCP produces long-lasting activation of medial PFC (mPFC) neurons in rats, almost in parallel with augmentation of locomotor activity and behavioral stereotypies. Later studies have showed that such PCP-induced behavioral abnormalities are ameliorated by prior administration of drugs that normalize or inhibit excess excitability of PFC neurons. Similar activation of mPFC neurons is not induced by systemic injection of a typical psychostimulant such as methamphetamine, even though behavioral hyperactivity is induced to almost the same level. This suggests that the neural circuits mediating PCP-induced psychosis are different to those mediating methamphetamine-induced psychosis. Locally applied PCP does not induce excitation of mPFC neurons, indicating that PCP-induced tonic excitation of mPFC neurons is mediated by inputs from regions outside the mPFC. This hypothesis is strongly supported by experimental results showing that local perfusion of PCP in the ventral hippocampus, which has dense fiber projections to the mPFC, induces tonic activation of mPFC neurons with accompanying augmentation of behavioral abnormalities. In this review we summarize current knowledge on the neural mechanisms underlying PCP-induced psychosis and highlight a possible involvement of the PFC and the hippocampus in PCP-induced psychosis.

Specific sites within the ligand-binding domain and ion channel linkers modulate NMDA receptor gating

Gating in the NMDA receptor is initiated in the extracellular ligand-binding domain (LBD) and is ultimately propagated via three linkers-S1-M1, M3-S2, and S2-M4-to the ion channel. M3-S2 directly couples LBD movements into channel gating, but the functional and structural contributions of S1-M1 and S2-M4 to the overall gating process are unknown. A scan of substituted cysteines in and around the NMDA receptor S1-M1 and S2-M4 with a bulky cysteine-reactive reagent identified numerous positions that showed potentiation of glutamate-activated as well as leak currents. As indexed by MK801 (dizocilpine hydrogen maleate), an open channel blocker, this potentiation was attributable to an increase in open probability, an interpretation confirmed for a subset of positions with single-channel recordings. The magnitude of this gating effect, acting through S1-M1 or S2-M4, was dependent on the intrinsic gating properties of the NMDA receptors, being more effective in the inherently low open probability GluN2C- than the higher open probability GluN2A-subunit-containing receptors. For the majority of these potentiation positions, we propose that alteration of gating arises from steric destabilization of contact interfaces where close apposition of the contacting partners is necessary for efficient channel closure. Our results therefore indicate that the NMDA receptor S1-M1 and S2-M4 linkers are dynamic during gating and can modulate the overall energetics of this process. Furthermore, the results conceptualize a mechanistic, as well as a possible structural, framework for pharmacologically targeting the linkers through noncompetitive and subunit-specific modes of action.

Mechanisms of the inhibition of endplate acetylcholine receptors by antiseptic chlorhexidine (experiments and models)

Mechanisms of the inhibition of evoked multiquantal endplate currents (EPC) by chlorhexidine (CHX) were studied in electrophysiological experiments and by mathematical modeling to discriminate between possible channel, receptor, and non-receptor effects of this common antiseptic drug. Experiments were carried out on the isolated neuromuscular preparation of the cut m. sartorius of the frog Rana ridibunda. The nerve-stimulation-evoked endplate currents were measured by standard double microelectrode technique. For the mathematical simulation, a method based on the solution of a system of ordinary differential equations was used. CHX in milimolar concentrations suppressed the amplitude and shortened the evoked EPC. Recovery of the EPC amplitude was very slow, and EPC shortening persisted during 30-40 min washout of the drug. There is no indication that CHX competes for acetylcholine or carbachol binding site(s). A comparison of the experimental data with mathematical simulation made it possible to construct a reliable kinetic scheme, which describes the action of CHX. CHX induces a combined slow blockade of the open ionic channel and long-lasting allosteric inhibition of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. The very slow washout of the drug in terms of EPC amplitude and virtually no recovery of the shortened EPC time course might substantiate certain caution to avoid unintentional high-dose application during its antibacterial application.

Ion channels of glutamate receptors: structural modeling

Ionotropic glutamate receptors belong to the superfamily of P-loop channels as well as K(+), Na(+), and Ca(2+) channels. However, the structural similarity between ion channels of the glutamate receptors and K(+) channels is a matter of discussion. The aim of this study was to analyze differences between the structures of K(+) channels and glutamate receptor channels. For this purpose, homology models of NMDA and AMPA receptor channels (M2 and M3 segments) were built using X-ray structures of K(+) channels as templates. The models were optimized and used to reproduce specific data on the structure of glutamate receptor channels. Particular attention was paid to the data of the binding of channel blockers and to the results of scanning mutagenesis. The modeling demonstrates that properties of glutamate receptor channel can be reproduced assuming only local structural deformations of the K(+) channel templates. The most valuable differences were found in the selectivity-filter region, whereas helical parts of M2 and M3 segments could have similar spatial organization with homologous segments in K(+) channels. It is concluded that the current experimental data on glutamate receptor channels does not reveal global structural differences with K(+) channels.

Subunit-specific mechanisms and proton sensitivity of NMDA receptor channel block

We have compared the potencies of structurally distinct channel blockers at recombinant NR1/NR2A, NR1/NR2B, NR1/NR2C and NR1/NR2D receptors. The IC50 values varied with stereochemistry and subunit composition, suggesting that it may be possible to design subunit-selective channel blockers. For dizocilpine (MK-801), the differential potency of MK-801 stereoisomers determined at recombinant NMDA receptors was confirmed at native receptors in vitro and in vivo. Since the proton sensor is tightly linked both structurally and functionally to channel gating, we examined whether blocking molecules that interact in the channel pore with the gating machinery can differentially sense protonation of the receptor. Blockers capable of remaining trapped in the pore during agonist unbinding showed the strongest dependence on extracellular pH, appearing more potent at acidic pH values that promote channel closure. Determination of pK(a) values for channel blockers suggests that the ionization of ketamine but not of other blockers can influence its pH-dependent potency. Kinetic modelling and single channel studies suggest that the pH-dependent block of NR1/NR2A by (-)MK-801 but not (+)MK-801 reflects an increase in the MK-801 association rate even though protons reduce channel open probability and thus MK-801 access to its binding site. Allosteric modulators that alter pH sensitivity alter the potency of MK-801, supporting the interpretation that the pH sensitivity of MK-801 binding reflects the changes at the proton sensor rather than a secondary effect of pH. These data suggest a tight coupling between the proton sensor and the ion channel gate as well as unique subunit-specific mechanisms of channel block.

Amantadine inhibits NMDA receptors by accelerating channel closure during channel block

The channel of NMDA receptors is blocked by a wide variety of drugs. NMDA receptor channel blockers include drugs of abuse that induce psychotic behavior, such as phencyclidine, and drugs with wide therapeutic utility, such as amantadine and memantine. We describe here the molecular mechanism of amantadine inhibition. In contrast to most other described channel-blocking molecules, amantadine causes the channel gate of NMDA receptors to close more quickly. Our results confirm that amantadine binding inhibits current flow through NMDA receptor channels but show that its main inhibitory action at pharmaceutically relevant concentrations results from stabilization of closed states of the channel. The surprising variation in the clinical utility of NMDA channel blockers may in part derive from their diverse effects on channel gating.

Voltage-dependent inhibition of recombinant NMDA receptor-mediated currents by 5-hydroxytryptamine

The effect of 5-HT and related indolealkylamines on heteromeric recombinant NMDA receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes was investigated using the two-electrode voltage-clamp recording technique. In the absence of external Mg(2+) ions, 5-HT inhibited NMDA receptor-mediated currents in a concentration-dependent manner. The inhibitory effect of 5-HT was independent of the NR1a and NR2 subunit combination. The inhibition of glutamate-evoked currents by 5-HT was use- and voltage-dependent. The voltage sensitivity of inhibition for NR1a+NR2 subunit combinations by 5-HT was similar, exhibiting an e-fold change per approximately 20 mV, indicating that 5-HT binds to a site deep within the membrane electric field. The inhibition of the open NMDA receptor by external Mg(2+) and 5-HT was not additive, suggesting competition between Mg(2+) and 5-HT for a binding site in the NMDA receptor channel. The concentration-dependence curves for 5-HT and 5-methoxytryptamine (5-MeOT) inhibition of NMDA receptor-mediated currents are shifted to the right in the presence of external Mg(2+). The related indolealkylamines inhibited glutamate-evoked currents with the following order of inhibitory potency: 5-MeOT=5-methyltryptamine>tryptamine>7-methyltryptamine>5-HT>>tryptophan=melatonin. Taken together, these data suggest that 5-HT and related compounds can attenuate glutamate-mediated excitatory synaptic responses and may provide a basis for drug treatment of excitoxic neurodegeneration.

The principal features and mechanisms of dopamine modulation in the prefrontal cortex

Mesocortical [corrected] dopamine (DA) inputs to the prefrontal cortex (PFC) play a critical role in normal cognitive process and neuropsychiatic pathologies. This DA input regulates aspects of working memory function, planning and attention, and its dysfunctions may underlie positive and negative symptoms and cognitive deficits associated with schizophrenia. Despite intense research, there is still a lack of clear understanding of the basic principles of actions of DA in the PFC. In recent years, there has been considerable efforts by many groups to understand the cellular mechanisms of DA modulation of PFC neurons. However, the results of these efforts often lead to contradictions and controversies. One principal feature of DA that is agreed by most researchers is that DA is a neuromodulator and is clearly not an excitatory or inhibitory neurotransmitter. The present article aims to identify certain principles of DA mechanisms by drawing on published, as well as unpublished data from PFC and other CNS sites to shed light on aspects of DA neuromodulation and address some of the existing controversies. Eighteen key features about DA modulation have been identified. These points directly impact on the end result of DA neuromodulation, and in some cases explain why DA does not yield identical effects under all experimental conditions. It will become apparent that DA's actions in PFC are subtle and depend on a variety of factors that can no longer be ignored. Some of these key factors include distinct bell-shaped dose-response profiles of postsynaptic DA effects, different postsynaptic responses that are contingent on the duration of DA receptor stimulation, prolonged duration effects, bidirectional effects following activation of D1 and D2 classes of receptors and membrane potential state and history dependence of subsequent DA actions. It is hoped that these factors will be borne in mind in future research and as a result a more consistent picture of DA neuromodulation in the PFC will emerge. Based on these factors, a theory is proposed for DA's action in PFC. This theory suggests that DA acts to expand or contract the breadth of information held in working memory buffers in PFC networks.

Free intracellular Mg(2+) concentration and inhibition of NMDA responses in cultured rat neurons

1. Intracellular Mg(2+) (Mg(2+)(i)) blocks single-channel currents and modulates the gating kinetics of NMDA receptors. However, previous data suggested that Mg(2+)(i) inhibits whole-cell current less effectively than predicted from excised-patch measurements. We examined the basis of this discrepancy by testing three hypothetical explanations. 2. To test the first hypothesis, that control of free Mg(2+)(i) concentration ([Mg(2+)](i)) during whole-cell recording was inadequate, we measured [Mg(2+)](i) using mag-indo-1 microfluorometry. The [Mg(2+)](i) measured in cultured neurons during whole-cell recording was similar to the pipette [Mg(2+)] measured in vitro, suggesting that [Mg(2+)](i) was adequately controlled. 3. To test the second hypothesis, that open-channel block by Mg(2+)(i) was modified by patch excision, we characterised the effects of Mg(2+)(i) using cell-attached recordings. We found the affinity and voltage dependence of open-channel block by Mg(2+)(i) similar in cell-attached and outside-out patches. Thus, the difference between Mg(2+)(i) inhibition of whole-cell and of patch currents cannot be attributed to a difference in Mg(2+)(i) block of single-channel current. 4. The third hypothesis tested was that the effect of Mg(2+)(i) on channel gating was modified by patch excision. Results of cell-attached recording and modelling of whole-cell data suggest that the Mg(2+)(i)-induced stabilisation of the channel open state is four times weaker after patch excision than in intact cells. This differential effect of Mg(2+)(i) on channel gating explains why Mg(2+)(i) inhibits whole-cell NMDA responses less effectively than patch responses.

Rapid relief of block by mecamylamine of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors of rat chromaffin cells in vitro: an electrophysiological and modeling study

The mechanism responsible for the blocking action of mecamylamine on neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) was studied on rat isolated chromaffin cells recorded under whole-cell patch clamp. Mecamylamine strongly depressed (IC(50) = 0.34 microM) inward currents elicited by short pulses of nicotine, an effect slowly reversible on wash. The mecamylamine block was voltage-dependent and promptly relieved by a protocol combining membrane depolarization with a nicotine pulse. Either depolarization or nicotine pulses were insufficient per se to elicit block relief. Block relief was transient; response depression returned in a use-dependent manner. Exposure to mecamylamine failed to block nAChRs if they were not activated by nicotine or if they were activated at positive membrane potentials. These data suggest that mecamylamine could not interact with receptors either at rest or at depolarized level. Other nicotinic antagonists like dihydro-beta-erythroidine or tubocurarine did not share this action of mecamylamine although proadifen partly mimicked it. Mecamylamine is suggested to penetrate and block open nAChRs that would subsequently close and trap this antagonist. Computer modeling indicated that the mechanism of mecamylamine blocking action could be described by assuming that 1) mecamylamine-blocked receptors possessed a much slower, voltage-dependent isomerization rate, 2) the rate constant for mecamylamine unbinding was large and poorly voltage dependent. Hence, channel reopening plus depolarization allowed mecamylamine escape and block relief. In the presence of mecamylamine, therefore, nAChRs acquire the new property of operating as coincidence detectors for concomitant changes in membrane potential and receptor occupancy.

Quantitative analysis of tetrapentylammonium-induced blockade of open N-methyl-D-aspartate channels

The blockade of open N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) channels by tetrapentylammonium (TPentA) in acutely isolated rat hippocampal neurons was studied using whole-cell patch-clamp techniques. TPentA prevented the closure of the NMDA channel following what is known as the foot-in-the-door mechanism. Hooked tail currents appearing after termination of the agonist (aspartate) and TPentA coapplication were analyzed quantitatively according to the corresponding sequential kinetic model. Studies of the hooked tail current amplitude and the degree of the stationary current inhibition dependence on the blocker concentration led to a new method for estimation of fast foot-in-the-door blocker binding/unbinding rate constants. The application of this method to the NMDA channel blockade by TPentA allowed finding the values of its binding (1.48 microM(-1)s(-1)) and unbinding (14 s(-1)) rate constants. An analysis of the dependence of the electric charge carried during the hooked tail current on the blocker concentration led to a new method for estimation of the maximum NMDA channel open probability, P(0). The value of P(0) found in experiments with TPentA was 0.04.

The trapping block of NMDA receptor channels in acutely isolated rat hippocampal neurones

N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor responses were recorded from acutely isolated rat hippocampal neurones using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. A rapid perfusion system was used to study the voltage-dependent block of NMDA channels by Mg2+, amantadine (AM) and N-2-(adamantyl)-hexamethylenimine (A-7). Mg2+, AM and A-7-induced stationary blockade of NMDA channels increased with the blocker concentration but did not depend on the agonist (aspartate; Asp) concentration. Blockade by AM and A-7, but not Mg2+, was weakly use dependent. 'Hooked' tail currents were observed after coapplication of Asp and Mg2+, AM or A-7. The hooked tail current kinetics, amplitude and carried charge indicated that Mg2+, AM and A-7 did not prevent closure and desensitization of NMDA channels nor agonist dissociation. Tail currents following Asp application in the absence and continuous presence of Mg2+, AM or A-7 had similar kinetics. Application of multiple stationary and kinetic criteria to the Mg2+, AM and A-7 blockade led us to conclude that their effects on NMDA channels can be described in terms of a 'trapping' model, which is fully symmetrical with respect to the blocking transition. In general, the apparent blocking/recovery kinetics predicted by the fully symmetrical trapping model differ significantly from the microscopic kinetics and depend on the rate of binding and unbinding of the blocker, the NMDA channel open probability and the rate of solution exchange.