showing 3 related works from this author
Building Bridges through Science
2017
WOS: 000415310800007 PubMed ID: 29144972 Science is ideally suited to connect people from different cultures and thereby foster mutual understanding. To promote international life science collaboration, we have launched "The Science Bridge'' initiative. Our current project focuses on partnership between Western and Middle Eastern neuroscience communities. Medical Research Council [MC_UP_1202/5]
Sodium dynamics: another key to astroglial excitability?
2012
Astroglial excitability is largely mediated by fluctuations in intracellular ion concentrations. In addition to generally acknowledged Ca 2+ excitability of astroglia, recent studies have demonstrated that neuronal activity triggers transient increases in the cytosolic Na + concentration ([Na + ] i ) in perisynaptic astrocytes. These [Na + ] i transients are controlled by multiple Na + -permeable channels and Na + -dependent transporters; spatiotemporally organized [Na + ] i dynamics in turn regulate diverse astroglial homeostatic responses such as metabolic/signaling utilization of lactate and glutamate, transmembrane transport of neurotransmitters and K + buffering. In particular, near-me…
Sodium Fluxes and Astroglial Function
2012
Astrocytes exhibit their excitability based on variations in cytosolic Ca(2+) levels, which leads to variety of signalling events. Only recently, however, intracellular fluctuations of more abundant cation Na(+) are brought in the limelight of glial signalling. Indeed, astrocytes possess several plasmalemmal molecular entities that allow rapid transport of Na(+) across the plasma membrane: (1) ionotropic receptors, (2) canonical transient receptor potential cation channels, (3) neurotransmitter transporters and (4) sodium-calcium exchanger. Concerted action of these molecules in controlling cytosolic Na(+) may complement Ca(2+) signalling to provide basis for complex bidirectional astrocyte…