6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione

CNQX or cyanquixaline (6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione) is a competitive AMPA/kainate receptor antagonist. Its chemical formula is C9H4N4O4. CNQX is often used in the retina to block the responses of OFF-bipolar cells for electrophysiology recordings.

CNQX is an antagonist of α-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA)-type glutamate receptors (AMPARs). A study of the effects of CNQX on vestibuloocular reflex adaptation was done on goldfish by injecting CNQX into the vestibulo-cerebullum. The injection before adaptation significantly decreased and at the highest doses, completely inhibited the acquisition of adaptive reflex gain increases and decreases during a three-hour training period. Baseline performance was not affected by the CNQX injections. Injections of CNQX at the end of the training period shows a rapid loss of gained vestibuloocular reflex adaptation when the goldfish remained stationary in the dark. Instead of injecting CNQX immediately after training, injection made one to two hours after the initiation of the training period showed no signs of altering performance. CNQX injections did not have long-term permanent effects on the goldfish's ability to be retrained 48-hours later and was comparable to a control group that was not subjected to CNQX injections. CNQX did not inhibit adaptive changes while the injection was administered.