The effect of decortication on the excitatory amino acid sensitivity of striatal neurones.

Rat striatal neurones which are deprived of their cortical innervation become more sensitive to the excitatory actions of L-glutamate relative to kainate and probably to other amino acids. The density of sodium-independent binding sites for glutamate and kainate is unaltered. The enhanced glutamate sensitivity may be a 'denervation supersensitivity' since the corticostriate pathway is believed to be glutamate-mediated. It is argued that the cytotoxic effects of kainate are unlikely to involve receptors on the affected cells themselves.