Previous studies indicate that cerebral ischemia breaks the dynamic balance between excitatory and inhibitory inputs. The neural excitotoxicity induced by ionotropic glutamate receptors gain the upper hand during ischemia-reperfusion. In this paper, we investigate whether GluR5 (glutamate receptor 5)-containing kainate receptor activation could lead to a neuroprotective effect against ischemic brain injury and the related mechanism. The results showed that (RS)-2-amino-3-(3-hydroxy-5-tert-butylisoxazol-4-yl) propanoic acid (ATPA), a selective GluR5 agonist, could suppress Src tyrosine phosphorylation and interactions among N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor subunit 2A (NR2A), postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD-95), and Src and then decrease NMDA receptor activation through attenuating tyrosine phosphorylation of NR2A and NR2B. More importantly, ATPA had a neuroprotective effect against ischemiareperfusion-induced neuronal cell death in vivo. However, four separate drugs were found to abolish the effects of ATPA. These were selective GluR5 antagonist NS3763; GluR5 antisense oligodeoxynucleotides; CdCl 2 , a broad spectrum blocker of voltage-gated calcium channels; and bicuculline, an antagonist of ␥-aminobutyric acid A (GABA A ) receptor. GABA A receptor agonist muscimol could attenuate Src activation and interactions among NR2A, PSD-95 and Src, resulting the suppression of NMDA receptor tyrosine phosphorylation. Moreover, patch clamp recording proved that the activated GABA A receptor could inhibit NMDA receptor-mediated whole-cell currents. Taken together, the results suggest that during ischemia-reperfusion, activated GluR5 may facilitate Ca 2؉ -dependent GABA release from interneurons. The released GABA can activate postsynaptic GABA A receptors, which then attenuates NMDA receptor tyrosine phosphorylation through inhibiting Src activation and disassembling the signaling module NR2A-PSD-95-Src. The final result of this process is that the pyramidal neurons are rescued from hyperexcitability.Brain functions are based on the dynamic balance between excitatory and inhibitory inputs. Cerebral ischemia breaks this balance, and the neural excitotoxicity takes over, which induces delayed neuronal cell death. Glutamate, as the primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, has been given widespread attention in previous studies. Ionotropic glutamate receptors, which play an important part in ischemic excitotoxicity, are divided into N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), 3 ␣-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate (AMPA), and kainate (KA) receptors (1, 2). The NMDA receptor, as a type of ligand-gated ion channel, attracts the most attention in research of cerebral ischemia. It is composed of three types of subunits: NR1, NR2 (NR2A to -D), and NR3 (NR3A and -B) (3-5). Among these subunits, transient global ischemia increases tyrosine phosphorylation of NR2A and NR2B (6). During ischemia-reperfusion, excessive glutamate release induces the influx of Na ϩ and Ca 2ϩ ions through NMDA receptors (7), ...