Glutamic acid is an excitatory neurotransmitter that may have a significant role in the central chemical drive of ventilation. Therefore cardiorespiratory function was measured in pentobarbital sodium-anesthetized dogs before and after central inhibition of glutamate metabolism by means of methionine sulfoximine (MSO), a specific inhibitor of glutamine synthase (GS) catalyzing amidation of glutamate to glutamine. GS was inhibited centrally by perfusing the ventriculocisternal space with artificial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) containing 92.5 mmol MSO per liter at a fixed pH, perfusion rate, and pressure. After GS inhibition, CSF transfer rate of [13N]glutamine synthesized from 13NH4+ amidation of glutamate was reduced five-fold, and minute ventilation increased from 2.90 +/- 0.41 (SE) l/min (0.164 +/- 0.020 l.min-1.kg body wt-1) to 4.46 +/- 0.52 l/min (0.254 +/- 0.029 l.min-1.kg body wt-1). This increase in ventilation with endogenous glutamate and the increase in ventilation previously observed during ventriculocisternal perfusion of exogenous glutamate are compared quantitatively via a model of central neurotransmitter glutamate chemoreception. The results support the hypothesis that the endogenous brain glutamate is important in the central chemical drive of ventilation.