Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism01:30

Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism

Ligand-gated ion channels are transmembrane proteins that play a vital role in intercellular communication and functions of the nervous system. They allow the influx of ions across the membrane once the neurotransmitter binds, allowing the subsequent transmission of electrical excitation across the neurons. Other ligand-gated ion channels, like the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor, permit anions like chloride into the cells on the binding of the GABA molecule. Their entry into the cell...
Voltage-gated Ion Channels01:26

Voltage-gated Ion Channels

Voltage-gated ion channels are transmembrane proteins that open and close in response to changes in the membrane potential. They are present on the membranes of all electrically excitable cells such as neurons, heart, and muscle cells.
Generally, all voltage-gated ion channels have a 'voltage-sensing domain' that spans the lipid bilayer. The charged residues in the sensor move in response to the membrane potential changes that open the channel allowing ions movement. There are several types of...
The Role of Ion Channels in Neuronal Computation01:19

The Role of Ion Channels in Neuronal Computation

A postsynaptic neuron usually receives numerous impulses from several other presynaptic neurons. The axon hillock of the postsynaptic neuron integrates all these signals and determines the likelihood of firing an action potential.
Sometimes a single EPSP is strong enough to induce an action potential in the postsynaptic neuron. However, multiple presynaptic inputs must often create EPSPs around the same time for the postsynaptic neuron to be sufficiently depolarized to fire an action potential.
Glial Cells01:04

Glial Cells

Overview
Ligand-gated Ion Channels01:19

Ligand-gated Ion Channels

Ligand-gated ion channels are transmembrane proteins with a channel for ions to pass through and a binding site for a ligand. The channel opens only when a ligand attaches to the binding site.
Three Subfamilies of Ligand-gated Ion Channels
Ligand-gated ion channels fall into three subfamilies. The 'Cys-loop' includes the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glycine, and 5-hydroxytryptamine receptors. The second one is the 'Pore-loop' channels that include the...
Ion Channels01:19

Ion Channels

The movement of ions like sodium, potassium, and calcium into and out of the cell is essential to maintain the electrochemical gradient in living cells. The ion channels—a class of membrane transport proteins—help maintain this ionic gradient for the smooth functioning of physiological activities such as maintaining cell size and volume, conducting nerve impulses, and gas and nutrient exchange.
Ion channels are specialized integral membrane proteins on the plasma membrane that allow specific...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The Excelsatoxin A-Receptor TMEM233 Modulates Nav1.8.

FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology·2026
Same author

Human-specific features of the cerebellum and ZP2-regulated synapse development.

Cell·2026
Same author

Collagen II hydrogel-mediated sustained delivery of lacosamide attenuates cartilage degeneration and pain in osteoarthritis.

Bioactive materials·2026
Same author

Dendritic spine dysgenesis in spinal cord injury: A structural contributor to pain and spasticity.

Experimental neurology·2026
Same author

Mesenchymal stem cells reverse disease-specific abnormalities in nociceptive regions of the brain.

Brain communications·2026
Same author

The Concise Guide to PHARMACOLOGY 2025/26: Ion channels.

British journal of pharmacology·2025
Same journal

Behavioral and functional characterization of early-stage Parkinson's disease models reveals attentional deficits and circuit-level connectivity alterations.

Experimental neurology·2026
Same journal

Neuropathological and functional impact of astrocyte-derived extracellular vesicles in an aged model of Alzheimer's disease.

Experimental neurology·2026
Same journal

PI3K/Akt pathway in ischemic stroke: A central regulator of neuronal survival and repair.

Experimental neurology·2026
Same journal

Hepatokines and stellakines in liver and neurological diseases: The liver-brain axis.

Experimental neurology·2026
Same journal

Structural dynamics of α-Synuclein: Multi-scale imaging insights into pathological progression across Synucleinopathies.

Experimental neurology·2026
Same journal

Retraction notice to 'Mitochondrial ferritin upregulation reduced oxidative stress and blood-brain-barrier disruption by maintaining cellular iron homeostasis in a neonatal rat model of germinal matrix hemorrhage' [Experimental Neurology 374 (2024) 114703].

Experimental neurology·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 28, 2026

Isolation of Cortical Microglia with Preserved Immunophenotype and Functionality From Murine Neonates
09:12

Isolation of Cortical Microglia with Preserved Immunophenotype and Functionality From Murine Neonates

Published on: January 30, 2014

Sodium channels and microglial function.

Joel A Black1, Stephen G Waxman

  • 1Department of Neurology and Center for Neuroscience and Regeneration Research, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA. joel.black@yale.edu

Experimental Neurology
|October 12, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Voltage-gated sodium channels, particularly Nav1.6, are expressed by microglia and influence their immune responses in the central nervous system (CNS). Blocking these channels can reduce microglial effector functions, impacting brain and spinal cord health.

More Related Videos

Generating and Co-culturing Murine Primary Microglia and Cortical Neurons
08:47

Generating and Co-culturing Murine Primary Microglia and Cortical Neurons

Published on: July 26, 2024

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 28, 2026

Isolation of Cortical Microglia with Preserved Immunophenotype and Functionality From Murine Neonates
09:12

Isolation of Cortical Microglia with Preserved Immunophenotype and Functionality From Murine Neonates

Published on: January 30, 2014

Generating and Co-culturing Murine Primary Microglia and Cortical Neurons
08:47

Generating and Co-culturing Murine Primary Microglia and Cortical Neurons

Published on: July 26, 2024

Area of Science:

  • Neuroimmunology
  • Cellular Neuroscience

Background:

  • Microglia are the primary immune cells in the central nervous system (CNS).
  • They perform surveillance and respond to injury via proliferation, migration, phagocytosis, and cytokine secretion.
  • Microglia utilize cell surface receptors and ion channels to sense environmental changes and activate signaling pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review studies on voltage-gated sodium channel expression in microglia.
  • To investigate the role of sodium channel activity in microglial effector functions.
  • To identify the predominant sodium channel isoform in microglia.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing in vivo and in vitro studies.
  • Analysis of microglial responses following sodium channel blockade.
  • Identification of specific sodium channel isoforms expressed by microglia.

Main Results:

  • Microglia express specific voltage-gated sodium channel isoforms.
  • Blockade of sodium channel activity attenuates microglial effector functions.
  • Nav1.6 is identified as the predominant sodium channel isoform in microglia.
  • Microglial Nav1.6 activity contributes to responses to activating signals.

Conclusions:

  • Voltage-gated sodium channels are integral to microglial function.
  • Nav1.6 plays a significant role in microglial responses within the CNS.
  • Targeting microglial sodium channels may offer therapeutic potential for neurological conditions.