Role of the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors complex in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Biochim Biophys Acta
; 1832(2): 312-22, 2013 Feb.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-23200922
ABSTRACT
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an adult onset neurodegenerative disease pathologically characterized by the massive loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord, brain stem and cerebral cortex. There is a consensus in the field that ALS is a multifactorial pathology and a number of possible mechanisms have been suggested. Among the proposed hypothesis, glutamate toxicity has been one of the most investigated. Alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor mediated cell death and impairment of the glutamate-transport system have been suggested to play a central role in the glutamate-mediated motor neuron degeneration. In this context, the role played by the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor has received considerable less attention notwithstanding its high Ca(2+) permeability, expression in motor neurons and its importance in excitotoxicity. This review overviews the critical role of NMDA-mediated toxicity in ALS, with a particular emphasis on the endogenous modulators of the NMDAR.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate
/
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Limits:
Humans
Language:
En
Journal:
Biochim Biophys Acta
Year:
2013
Document type:
Article