ATP signalling in epilepsy |
| |
Authors: | Ashwin Kumaria Christos M Tolias Geoffrey Burnstock |
| |
Institution: | (1) Department of Neurosurgery, King’s College Hospital, London, UK;(2) Autonomic Neuroscience Centre, Royal Free and University College Medical School, London, UK |
| |
Abstract: | This paper focuses on a role for ATP neurotransmission and gliotransmission in the pathophysiology of epileptic seizures.
ATP along with gap junctions propagates the glial calcium wave, which is an extraneuronal signalling pathway in the central
nervous system. Recently astrocyte intercellular calcium waves have been shown to underlie seizures, and conventional antiepileptic
drugs have been shown to attenuate these calcium waves. Blocking ATP-mediated gliotransmission, therefore, represents a potential
target for antiepileptic drugs. Furthermore, while knowledge of an antiepileptic role for adenosine is not new, a recent study
showed that adenosine accumulates from the hydrolysis of accumulated ATP released by astrocytes and is believed to inhibit
distant synapses by acting on adenosine receptors. Such a mechanism is consistent with a surround-inhibitory mechanism whose
failure would predispose to seizures. Other potential roles for ATP signalling in the initiation and spread of epileptiform
discharges may involve synaptic plasticity and coordination of synaptic networks. We conclude by making speculations about
future developments. |
| |
Keywords: | Astrocytes ATP Epilepsy Gliotransmission Seizure |
本文献已被 PubMed SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|