Posted by Mistermindmasta on March 29, 2005, at 11:46:12
In reply to Re: Magnesium survey » Mistermindmasta, posted by Sarah T. on March 29, 2005, at 0:57:41
> > > > Glycine is a co-agonist of the NMDA receptor that glutamate often binds to. As I recall, increasing activity at this receptor might promote an increase in certain cognitive functions. Glycine is being tested as an add-on to antipsychotic meds for schizophrenia.
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> Hi. Thanks for the information. I have to say that I'm quite surprised that it would be an agonist. I thought I remembered reading some threads here on NMDA antagonists, and Magnesium was listed. So, would you say that magnesium glycinate is a combination of an NMDA agonist and antagonist? I want to use magnesium primarily for the relaxation it provides at night.
Yeah, I guess you could say that it's an agonist and antagonist. It is kind of strange. Glycine is necessary for calcium to enter the cell whereas the magnesium blockade removal is necessary for calcium to enter the cell as well. I actually just read that a glycine reptake inhibitor was being tested for the cognitive deficits of schizophrenia.And just like every other receptor, NMDA receptor agonism is not inherently harmful, despite the idea that it might increase cell death. For example, increasing magnesium intake might somehow selectively decrease excitotoxic damage from glutamate whereas increasing glycine might selectively increase certain cognitive functions. That would be ideal. But to be honest, I don't know enough about all of this to make this assessment, but I can say with more certainty that NMDA receptors have many functions and agonists may be as useful as antagonists, but in different ways.
If I were to make a judgement on what physiological effects taking glycine (agonist) and magnesium (antagonist) would have, I would say that the result is not a net agonist or antagonist action. Rather, it would just be a nonspecific improvement of NMDA receptor function. The cell will do what it should be doing more often.
poster:Mistermindmasta
thread:476058
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20050323/msgs/477201.html