The dissociative anaesthetics, ketamine and phencyclidine, selectively reduce excitation of central mammalian neurones by N‐methyl‐aspartate
British Journal of Pharmacology June 1, 1983 Nabil A. Anis, Stephen C. Berry, N.r. Burton et al. 1,415 citations
Ketamine and phencyclidine selectively block excitation of spinal neurons by N-methyl-aspartate (NMA) while leaving responses to quisqualate and kainate largely unaffected. In cats and rats, ketamine reduced responses to L-aspartate more than those to L-glutamate. On Renshaw cells, both drugs reduced acetylcholine responses less than NMA responses but more than quisqualate or kainate responses. Intravenous ketamine (2.5-20 mg/kg) and phencyclidine (0.2-0.5 mg/kg) also selectively blocked NMA-induced excitation. The findings suggest that reducing synaptic excitation mediated via NMA receptors contributes to the anaesthetic and analgesic properties of these dissociative anaesthetics.