The Effect Of 4-Hydroxybenzaldehyde On The Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid Type A Receptor

The alpha(1)beta(2)gamma(2) subtype of GABA(A) receptors is the most commonly found GABA(A) receptor subtype in the mammalian cortex and hippocampus. It is expressed heterologously in the Xenopus laevis oocyte as a alpha(1)beta(2)gamma S-2/L subtype for application as an in vitro model for the screening of compounds that modulate receptor activities. In fact, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (4-HB) has been identified as one of the major components in Dendrocalamus asper bamboo shoots in our previous study, and the current study showed that at 101.7 mu M, 4-HB significantly reduced the GABA-induced chloride current of GABA(A) receptors expressed on Xenopus oocytes, indicating a possible GABAergic antagonistic effect at high concentrations.