Adenosine inhibition of gamma-aminobutyric acid release from slices of rat cerebral cortex.

1 The effect of purine compounds on the potassium-evoked release of 14C-labelled gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) has been studied in 400 micrometers slices of rat cerebral cortex in vitro. 2 Adenosine and adenosine 5' monophosphate (AMP) inhibited the release of GABA at 10(-5) to 10(-3) M. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) produced a significant inhibition of release only at 10(-3) M. 3 Theophylline 10(-4) or 10(-3) M reduced the inhibitory effect of adenosine, but did not change basal release of GABA. 4 Dipyridamole 10(-5) M itself reduced evoked GABA release, but did not prevent the inhibitory effect of adenosine, implying that adenosine was acting at an extracellularly directed receptor. 5 Calcium removal or antagonism by verapamil reduced the evoked release of GABA, but adenosine did not produce any further reduction of the calcium-independent release. This may indicate that the inhibitory effect of adenosine on GABA release results from interference with calcium influx or availability within the terminals.