Advanced search
Start date
Betweenand
Related content
(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Glycine as a neurotransmitter in the forebrain: a short review

Full text
Author(s):
Hernandes, Marina Sorrentino [1] ; Troncone, Lanfranco R. P. [2]
Total Authors: 2
Affiliation:
[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Physiol & Biophys, Inst Biomed Sci, BR-05508900 Sao Paulo - Brazil
[2] Inst Butantan, Pharmacol Lab, BR-05503900 Sao Paulo - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 2
Document type: Review article
Source: JOURNAL OF NEURAL TRANSMISSION; v. 116, n. 12, p. 1551-1560, DEC 2009.
Web of Science Citations: 33
Abstract

Since the late 1970s glycine has been considered an important inhibitory neurotransmitter in brain stem and medulla. The description of its involvement in the mechanism of action of the potent neurotoxin strychnine pushed further the concept of inhibitory transmitter. The significant concentrations of glycine in forebrain motivated investigators to evaluate different aspects of glycinergic transmission under the ontogenetic, physiologic and pathologic standpoints. This review encompasses a few of these aspects as the role of the different glycine receptors (GlyRs) in intracellular chloride balance, glycine transporters, GABA/Glycine co-release, glycine/NMDA receptor interaction, glycine receptors in acute alcohol effects and advocates a more relevant role for glycine as a stimulatory transmitter in forebrain areas. Finally, the possible co-release of glycine and GABA is considered as an important process to understand the role of glycine in forebrain neural transmission. (AU)