scholarly journals Kynurenic acid as an antagonist of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the brain: Facts and challenges

2013 ◽  
Vol 85 (8) ◽  
pp. 1027-1032 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edson X. Albuquerque ◽  
Robert Schwarcz
Keyword(s):  
Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors ◽  
Acetylcholine Receptors ◽  
Kynurenic Acid ◽  
Nicotinic Acetylcholine ◽  
Α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors ◽  
The Brain

Kynurenic acid, by targeting α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, modulates extracellular GABA levels in the rat striatumin vivo

2013 ◽  
Vol 37 (9) ◽  
pp. 1470-1477 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Beggiato ◽  
Tiziana Antonelli ◽  
Maria Cristina Tomasini ◽  
Sergio Tanganelli ◽  
Kjell Fuxe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors ◽  
Acetylcholine Receptors ◽  
Kynurenic Acid ◽  
Nicotinic Acetylcholine ◽  
Α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors

scholarly journals Homomeric and Heteromeric α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors in Health and Some Central Nervous System Diseases

Membranes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 664
Author(s):  
Virginia Borroni ◽  
Francisco J. Barrantes
Keyword(s):  
Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors ◽  
Acetylcholine Receptors ◽  
Cellular Level ◽  
Nicotinic Acetylcholine ◽  
Brain Functions ◽  
Α7 Nachr ◽  
Α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors ◽  
Form Part ◽  
Time Frames ◽  
The Brain

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are pentameric ligand-gated ion channels involved in the modulation of essential brain functions such as memory, learning, and attention. Homomeric α7 nAChR, formed exclusively by five identical α7 subunits, is involved in rapid synaptic transmission, whereas the heteromeric oligomers composed of α7 in combination with β subunits display metabotropic properties and operate in slower time frames. At the cellular level, the activation of nAChRs allows the entry of Na+ and Ca2+; the two cations depolarize the membrane and trigger diverse cellular signals, depending on the type of nAChR pentamer and neurons involved, the location of the intervening cells, and the networks of which these neuronal cells form part. These features make the α7 nAChR a central player in neurotransmission, metabolically associated Ca2+-mediated signaling, and modulation of diverse fundamental processes operated by other neurotransmitters in the brain. Due to its ubiquitous distribution and the multiple functions it displays in the brain, the α7 nAChR is associated with a variety of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders whose exact etiopathogenic mechanisms are still elusive.

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