Vlastnosti a regulace objemově-závislých aniontových kanálů u astrocytů

Harantová, Lenka

Animal cells need to preserve constant volume in the face of osmolarity perturbations to function properly. To regain their original volume after hyposmotically induced swelling, most cell types extrude intracellular electrolytes and organic osmolytes accompanied by osmotically driven water. This process is termed regulatory volume decrease and is ensured by various ion channels and transporters. Recently, much attention has been focused on the ubiquitous volume-regulated anion channels activated by cell swelling. VRACs are moderately outwardly rectifying with intermediary conductance, permeable to inorganic anions and organic osmolytes and sensitive to broad-spectrum anion channels blockers. Functional properties of VRACs in astrocytes are particularly interesting, because many brain pathologies, such as ischemia, traumatic brain injury or hyponatremia, are associated with marked astrocytic swelling and VRACs could thus constitute a possible target for therapy of cerebral edema. Furthermore, VRACs are thought to play a role in cell cycle progression, cell migration, apoptosis and intercellular communication. Despite intensive research, VRACs molecular identity and mechanism of their activation and regulation are still unclear. This work summarizes known facts about VRACs, accentuating their...

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