脳の伝達物質の概観

Synaptic transmitters in the mammalian brain

　脳の伝達物質については，この20年間広く興味がもたれ，精力的な研究が行なわれている。そのうちで伝達物質と行動や精神機能との関係については後で詳しく述べられると思うので，細胞レベルに的をしぼって最近とくに関心をもたれている点について紹介する。

Recent progress in the research of synaptic transmitters in the brain was reviewed. The following topics were discussed: depolarization induced by glycine in the spinal motoneurons, glutamate as a candidate of the main excitatory transmitter in the brain, functional role of dopa-mine in the corpus striatum and relation between action of dopamine and cyclic nucleotides, release of dopamine in the substantia nigra from dendrites of dopamine neurons, and finally multiple-trans-mitter hypothesis.