Kazuhide Inoue
Division of Pharmacology, National Institute of Health Sciences, 1-18-1
Kamiyoga, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 158-8501, Japan
Abstract: The inhibitory effects of extracellular adenosine 5'-triphosphate
(ATP) are reviewed in the present paper. ATP inhibits the release of the
excitatory transmitter glutamate and stimulates the release of the inhibitory
transmitter GABA from hippocampal neurons. Also, ATP activates potassium
conductance directly through G protein, resulting in hyperpolarization of
membrane potential. ATP activates microglia to secrete plasminogen that
promotes the development of mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons and enhances
neurite outgrowth from explants of neocortical tissue. Moreover, ATP may
protect hippocampal neurons from excitotoxic cell death by preserving mitochondrial
function. Thus, ATP may have a role in the protection of the function of
hippocampus from over-stimulation by glutamate.
Keywords: ATP, Hippocampus, Neuron, Protection, Excitotoxicity