Book reviews

Structural, conformational, and stereochemical requirements of central excitatory amino acid receptors

“…The epilepsies are characterized by epileptiform neuronal activity and convulsions, and appear to involve dysfunction or degeneration of neurones using GABA as transmitter (106). L-Glu and other EAAs are convulsants (1,107,108) and can induce epileptiform neuronal activity in animal studies (108,109) in addition to causing neuropathological changes similar to those observed after epileptic seizures (110). Selective NMDA receptor antagonists (111)(112)(113), as well as nonselective EAA receptor antagonists (114,115), prevent convulsions in animal models of epilepsy, and NMDA receptor antagonists also depress epileptiform neuronal activity induced by convulsants or by electrical neuronal stimulation (109,116,117).…”