Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Exp Neurol. 2010 Oct;225(2):250-61. doi: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2010.07.014. Epub 2010 Jul 23.
Gap junctions are specialized cell-to-cell contacts that provide direct intercellular communication. In the central nervous system (CNS), gap junction coupling occurs between both neurons and glial cells. One of the most abundant gap junction proteins in the CNS is connexin43 (Cx43). The functional syncytium formed by astrocytes via Cx43 gap junction intercellular communication has, for example, been implicated in maintaining the homeostasis of the extracellular milieu of neurons. In particular, astrocytes are involved in the spatial buffering of many ions, signalling molecules and energy sources. In this review, the role of Cx43 following CNS injury is examined by combining evidence surrounding the response of Cx43 to CNS injury and the effects of Cx43 gap junction blockade on neuronal survival in various models of injury. Combined evidence suggests that transient blockade targeting the window of initial Cx43 upregulation observed following injury is potentially therapeutic.
缝隙连接是一种特殊的细胞间连接，提供直接的细胞间通讯。在中枢神经系统 (CNS) 中，缝隙连接偶联发生在神经元和神经胶质细胞之间。CNS 中最丰富的缝隙连接蛋白之一是连接蛋白 43 (Cx43)。通过 Cx43 缝隙连接细胞间通讯形成的功能性合胞体，例如，被认为参与维持神经元细胞外环境的稳态。特别是，星形胶质细胞参与许多离子、信号分子和能量源的空间缓冲。在这篇综述中，通过结合围绕 Cx43 对 CNS 损伤的反应的证据以及 Cx43 缝隙连接阻断对各种损伤模型中神经元存活的影响，研究了 Cx43 在 CNS 损伤后的作用。综合证据表明，针对损伤后观察到的初始 Cx43 上调窗口期的短暂阻断具有潜在的治疗作用。
