Anticonvulsant action of beta-kainic acid in mice. Is beta-kainic acid an N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist?

An effect of the beta-stereoisomer of kainic acid on seizures produced by intracerebroventricular injections of excitatory amino acids was tested in mice. beta-Kainic acid preferentially antagonizes myoclonic seizures induced by N-methyl-D-aspartate and quinolinate, has less pronounced anticonvulsant action against alpha-kainate, D-homocysteinesulphinate and quisqualate, and no effect on convulsions induced by L-glutamate. The anticonvulsant activity of beta-kainic acid matches that of 2-amino-7-phosphonoheptanoic and kynurenic acids, both preferential N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists, and differs considerably from the profile of anticonvulsant action of gamma-D-glutamylaminomethylsulphonic acid, a preferential kainate/quisqualate antagonist.