Low-threshold Ca spikes are mediated by T-type Ca channels, which have electrophysiological properties of fast inactivation and slow deactivation kinetics. A low membrane potential of approximately -60 mV is sufficient to trigger channel opening. We recently introduced a novel T-type Ca channel enhancer that improves cognition and inhibits amyloid beta aggregation in an Alzheimer's disease (AD) mouse model. The enhancer stimulates ACh release, Ca/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) activity, and neurogenesis in the hippocampus. Then, we discuss how T-type Ca channel enhancer improves cognition and impaired neurogenesis and how CaMKII signaling in neurodegenerative diseases reduces amyloid beta aggregation. We provide a perspective of the potential AD therapies to target CaMKII signaling. In this context, we overview our attempts leading to the development of a T-type Ca channel enhancer as cognitive enhancer, the action of which has been associated with CaMKII and presumably proteasome activity.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jphs.2018.11.014 | DOI Listing |
Korean J Physiol Pharmacol
January 2025
Department of Pharmacology, Catholic Kwandong University College of Medicine, Gangneung 25601, Korea.
Neurosteroids play an important role as endogenous neuromodulators that are locally produced in the central nervous system and rapidly change the excitability of neurons and the activation of microglial cells and astrocytes. Here we review the mechanisms of synthesis, metabolism, and actions of neurosteroids in the central nervous system. Neurosteroids are able to play a variety of roles in the central nervous system under physiological conditions by binding to membrane ion channels and receptors such as gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptors, Nmethyl- D-aspartate receptors, L- and T-type calcium channels, and sigma-1 receptors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFReprod Sci
January 2025
Department of Physiology, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, IL, 60515, USA.
The experience of pregnancy affects uterine function well beyond delivery. We previously demonstrated that the response to oxytocin is more robust in the uteri of proven breeder rats. This study investigates the contribution of T-type calcium channels (TTCCs) and L-type calcium channels (LTCCs) to the distinct response of virgin (V) and proven breeder (PB) rat uteri to oxytocin.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCell Calcium
December 2024
Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada Reno School of Medicine, Reno, NV, 89557, USA. Electronic address:
Interstitial cells of Cajal in the plane of the myenteric plexus (ICC-MY) serve as electrical pacemakers in the stomach and small intestine. A similar population of cells is found in the colon, but these cells do not appear to generate regular slow wave potentials, as characteristic in more proximal gut regions. Ca handling mechanisms in ICC-MY of the mouse proximal colon were studied using confocal imaging of muscles from animals expressing GCaMP6f exclusively in ICC.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCurr Top Med Chem
January 2025
Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research (JSS AHER), Mysuru, Karnataka, India.
Background: Several chemical studies described the physiological efficacy of 1,4- dihydropyridines (DHPs). DHPs bind to specific sites on the α1 subunit of L-type calcium channels, where they demonstrate a more pronounced inhibition of Ca2+ influx in vascular smooth muscle compared to myocardial tissue. This selective inhibition is the basis for their preferential vasodilatory action on peripheral and coronary arteries, a characteristic that underlies their therapeutic utility in managing hypertension and angina.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Headache Pain
December 2024
Department of Pharmacology, Biological Sciences Sector, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
Background: Migraine is a painful neurological syndrome characterized by attacks of throbbing headache, of moderate to severe intensity, which is associated with photo- and phono- sensitivity as well as nausea and vomiting. It affects about 15% of the world's population being 2-3 times more prevalent in females. The calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is a key mediator in the pathophysiology of migraine, and a significant advance in the field has been the development of anti-CGRP therapies.
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