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Canna~Fangled Abstracts

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs): therapeutic targets for neurological diseases and their regulation.

By June 26, 2013No Comments

pm2Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs): therapeutic targets for neurological diseases and their regulation.

Source

Department of Brain Science, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu 711-873, Korea bcsuh@dgist.ac.kr.

Abstract

Extracellular acidification occurs not only in pathological conditions such as inflammation and brain ischemia, but also in normal physiological conditions such as synaptic transmission. Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) can detect a broad range of physiological pH changes during pathological and synaptic cellular activities. ASICs are voltage-independent, proton-gated cation channels widely expressed throughout the central and peripheral nervous system. Activation of ASICs is involved in pain perception, synaptic plasticity, learning and memory, fear, ischemic neuronal injury, seizure termination, neuronal degeneration, and mechanosensation. Therefore, ASICs emerge as potential therapeutic targets for manipulating pain and neurological diseases. The activity of these channels can be regulated by many factors such as lactate, Zn(2+), and Phe-Met-Arg-Phe amide (FMRFamide)-like neuropeptides by interacting with the channel’s large extracellular loop. ASICs are also modulated by G protein-coupled receptors such as CB1cannabinoid receptors and 5-HT2. This review focuses on the physiological roles of ASICs and the molecular mechanisms by which these channels are regulated. [BMB Reports 2013; 46(6): 295-304].
PMID:

 23790972
[PubMed – in process]potp font 1