脳障害と治療

概要

Role of Cav2.1 Channel Signaling in Glutamate-Related Brain Injury

Tae Yeon Kim, Kimie Niimi, and Eiki Takahashi

Voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (VGCCs) play a pivotal role in intracellular processes such as neurotransmitter release, axonal outgrowth, membrane excitability, and synaptic plasticity. Three major presynaptic Cav2 channels, including the Cav2.1 channel, are involved in the mechanism underlying Ca2+-dependent excitotoxicity. Glutamate is among the excitatory neurotransmitters regulated by the Cav2.1 channel. Glutamate-related excitotoxicity is a pathological process associated with seizures, traumatic brain injury, and cerebral ischemia. This review emphasizes the relationship between activation of the Cav2.1 channel and these various types of brain injury.