The release of amino acids synthesised from various compartmented precursors in rat spinal cord slices.

[14C]Glucose and [14C]acetate have been used to label amino acid pools believed to be localised in neurones and glia, respectively, in small slices of rat spinal cord. The effects of depolarising agents on the efflux of amino acids from these pools were compared and contrasted with their effect on the efflux of exogenous [3H]glutamate. Elevated (50 mM) potassium in the superfusing medium increased the release of glutamate, aspartate and GABA synthesised from either glucose or acetate and that of exogenous glutamate. These increases were not, however, abolished by tetrodotoxin (2 micron). Protoveratrine A (10(-4) M), on the other hand, elevated the efflux of glutamate, GABA and possibly aspartate when these amino acids were synthesised from glucose, but not when acetate was the labelled precursor. Furthermore, this effect was abolished by 2 micron tetrodotoxin. It is concluded that these techniques point to the existence in slices of spinal cord of neuronal pools of glutamate, GABA and possibly aspartate that may be released as a consequence of neuronal activity, and that these pools probably represent transmitter stores of these amino acids.