title: Intracellular calcium signals in the surround of rat visual cortex lesions.
abstract: Focal lesions of the visual cortex induce deafferentiation, excitotoxic cell death as well as functional reorganization in the surrounding tissue. The intracellular second messenger calcium is involved in a wide range of cellular responses including excitotoxicity and functional reorganization following cortical injuries. We investigated the intracellular calcium concentration [Ca2+]i in neurons of the visual cortex using fluorescence imaging of fura-2 signals in a slice preparation obtained from lesioned and sham-operated cortices. We observed an increase in resting and stimulus evoked [Ca2+]i in the surround of the lesion, which were mediated by NMDA and non-NMDA ionotropic glutamate receptors. This increase in [Ca2+]i might be an important factor for lesion-induced functional reorganization in the rat visual cortex.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurophysiology MA 4/149, Ruhr-University Bochum, D-44780 Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Barmashenko
authors.forename: U T
authors.initials: UT
authors.lastname: Eysel
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mittmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D020013:Calcium Signaling / Q000502:physiology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D016257:Fura-2 / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D007424:Intracellular Fluid / Q000378:metabolism*; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation / Q000502:physiology; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D017470:Receptors, Glutamate; D002118:Calcium; D016257:Fura-2