Role of NMDA receptor-mediated abnormalities of GABAergic interneurons in psychiatric disorders.

GABAergic interneurons are neurons that mainly release the neurotransmitter of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), accounting for approximately 20% of the total number of neurons in the cerebral cortex. They form wide synaptic connections with the pyramidal cells and regulate the pyramidal activity, playing an important role in maintenance of excitation/inhibition balance in cortical circuits. Recently, studies have shown that GABAergic interneurons dysfunction is the key mechanism underlying neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, depression, and autism. N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptors are the main receptors in GABAergic interneurons, and its dysfunction and different subunit deletions can mediate GABAergic interneuron dysfunction.γ-氨基丁酸(γ-aminobutyric acid，GABA)能中间神经元是指主要以GABA为递质的神经细胞，约占大脑皮层神经元总数的20%。GABA能中间神经元与锥体细胞形成广泛的突触联系，在调节锥体细胞的活动及维持大脑皮层回路的兴奋/抑制平衡中发挥重要作用。最新研究表明GABA能中间神经元功能异常是精神分裂症、抑郁症及孤独症等精神疾病的关键发病机制。N-甲基-D-天冬氨酸(N-methyl-D-aspartic acid，NMDA)受体是GABA能中间神经元上的主要受体，其功能障碍及不同亚基缺失可介导GABA能中间神经元功能异常。.