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Ion channels in glial cells.

A Verkhratsky1, C Steinhäuser

  • 1School of Biological Sciences, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, UK. alex.verkhratsky@man.ac.uk

Brain Research. Brain Research Reviews
|April 13, 2000
PubMed
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Glial cells are not passive but actively participate in nervous system information processing. This review details their ion channels and receptors, revealing their dynamic functional roles.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • The understanding of glial cells has evolved from passive structural elements to dynamic participants in neural function.
  • Recent advancements highlight the expression of diverse ion channels and neurotransmitter receptors by macroglial cells.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide a comprehensive summary of the functional properties of ion channels and ionotropic receptors in macroglial cells.
  • To review the roles of sodium, potassium, anion channels, and glutamate, GABA, and ATP-activated receptors in glial cells.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on functional and molecular analyses of glial ion channels and receptors.
  • Comparison of data from primary cell cultures, acute tissue slices, and freshly isolated cells.

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Main Results:

  • Macroglial cells (astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, Schwann cells) express a wide array of voltage- and ligand-gated ion channels and receptors.
  • These molecules enable glial cells to sense neuronal activity and integrate it into glial networks, potentially via calcium waves.
  • Data from various experimental models consistently indicate significant functional roles for these glial expressed channels and receptors.

Conclusions:

  • Glial cells actively participate in information processing within the nervous system.
  • A physiological role for specific glial ion channels and receptors in neural function is increasingly evident.
  • Further research is warranted to fully elucidate the complex contributions of glia to neural circuit function.