[Stimulatory effects of intraventricular administration of kynurenines, amino acids, and convulsants: differences between rats and mice].

Quinolinic acid appeared to be the only kynurenine metabolite among tested (L- and DL-kynurenine sulfate, kynurenic and nicotinic acids, nicotinamide) which induced locomotor excitation and clonic seizures in rats whereas all of them exerted convulsant action in mice. Excitatory 1-glutamic and 1-aspartic amino acids and inhibitory amino acids GABA, 1-glycine and taurine did not induce either excitation of seizures in rats but did so in mice. Moreover, GABA, 1-glycine and taurine induced obvious sedation, side position and discoordination in rats. Convulsants strychnine sulfate and pentylenetetrazol induced seizures both in rats and in mice. The differences between mice and rats seem to be due to better availability of hippocampus for the intraventricularly administered drugs in mice. Mice seem to be preferable for studies with intraventricularly administered excitatory amino acids including kynurenines, whereas rats are preferable for inhibitory amino acids.