Excitable membranes, lipid messengers, and immediate-early genes. Alteration of signal transduction in neuromodulation and neurotrauma.

Full Abstract

The physical nature of neuronal cells, particularly in the functional and morphological segregation of synapse, soma, and dendrites, imparts special importance on the integrity of their cell membranes for the localization of function, generation of intrinsic second messengers, and plasticity required for adaptation and repair. The component phospholipids of neural membranes are important sources of bioactive mediators that participate in such diverse phenomena as memory formation and cellular damage following trauma. A common role for PAF in these processes is established through the suppressive effects of its antagonists. Furthermore, being both an extracellular and intracellular agonist of phospholipase activation, in addition to being a product of phospholipase activity, PAF assumes a centralized role in the cellular metabolism following neural stimulation. The linkage of PAF to neural immediate-early gene expression, both in vitro and in vivo, suggests that its effects are initiating to long-term formative and reparative processes. Such a common link between destructive and plastic responses provides an important view of cellular and tissue maintenance in the nervous system.

Author information

Author/s: Doucet, J P (JP); Bazan, N G (NG);

Affiliation: LSU Eye Center, Louisiana State University Medical Center, School of Medicine, New Orleans 70112-2234.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Review

Journal: Molecular neurobiology (Mol Neurobiol), published in UNITED STATES. (Language: eng)

Reference: 1992-; vol 6 (issue 4) : pp 407-24

Dates: Created 1993/03/18; Completed 1993/03/18; Revised 2004/11/17;

PMID: 1337456, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

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