title: Interactions of pannexin 1 with NMDA and P2X7 receptors in central nervous system pathologies: Possible role on chronic pain.
abstract: Pannexin 1 (Panx1) is a glycoprotein that acts as a membrane channel in a wide variety of tissues in mammals. In the central nervous system (CNS) Panx1 is expressed in neurons, astrocytes and microglia, participating in the pathophysiology of some CNS diseases, such as epilepsy, anoxic depolarization after stroke and neuroinflammation. In these conditions Panx1 acts as an important modulator of the neuroinflammatory response, by secreting ATP, by interacting with the P2X7 receptor (P2X7R), and as an amplifier of NMDA receptor (NMDAR) currents, particularly in conditions of pathological neuronal hyperexcitability. Here, we briefly reviewed the current evidences that support the interaction of Panx1 with NMDAR and P2X7R in pathological contexts of the CNS, with special focus in recent data supporting that Panx1 is involved in chronic pain signaling by interacting with NMDAR in neurons and with P2X7R in glia. The participation of Panx1 in chronic pain constitutes a novel topic for research in the field of clinical neurosciences and a potential target for pharmacological interventions in chronic pain.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neurobiology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Chemistry and Biology, University of Santiago of Chile, Chile; School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Sport, Health and Recreation, University Bernardo O'Higgins, Chile. Electronic address: david.bravol@usach.cl.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bravo
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiología, Pontificia Universidad Católica De Chile, Chile.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Maturana
authors.affiliation: Program of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Chile.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pelissier
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neurobiology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Chemistry and Biology, University of Santiago of Chile, Chile.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neurobiology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Chemistry and Biology, University of Santiago of Chile, Chile.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Constandil
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D017630:Connexins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000378:metabolism; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000378:metabolism*; D058486:Receptors, Purinergic P2X7 / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D017630:Connexins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C492764:PANX1 protein, human; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D058486:Receptors, Purinergic P2X7
keywords: NMDA receptor; Neuropathic pain; Neuropharmacology of chronic pain; P2X7 receptor; Pannexin 1; Src kinase