Abstract
CA 3 hippocampal pyramidal neurons are known to be extremely susceptible to the neurotoxic action of kainic acid (KA). The excitotoxic hypothesis claims that cytotoxic amino acids exert this effect via neuroexcitation. To put this hypothesis to the test, the responsiveness of CA 3 neurons to KA was assessed by means of microiontophoresis and compared to that of CA 1 and cortical neurons. CA 3 pyramidal neurons showed an extreme sensitivity to KA, much greater than that of CA 1 and cortical neurons. There was no such differential responsiveness to neither acetylcholine nor glutamate (GLU). The exquisite sensitivity of CA 3 neurons to both neurotoxic and neuroexcitatory actions of KA supports the excitotoxic hypothesis. The clear dissociation between the effects of KA and GLU on hippocampal pyramidal cells indicates that KA-induced activation is not mediated by GLU receptors and favors the notion that KA might act on specific receptors.
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