Astrocytes actively participate in brain communication as well astake care for proper microenvironment, because they take up the excess of extracellular potassium ions and neurotransmitters. Because of direct involvement of transporters in the availability of neurotransmitters, they represent a site of action of many present and future drugs. ln the present review we would liketo address the importance of neurotransmitter transporters on astrocytes in the regulation of synaptic signaling.
COBISS.SI-ID: 25944281
Heparins, primarily used as anticoagulants, were found to be effective also in slowing down the development of some types of cancer. It was hypothesized that by mediating an attractive interaction between phospholipid membranes heparin suppresses microvesiculation and thereby acts as an anticoagulant and anti-tumor agent. The results are in favor of the hypothesis that suppression of microvesiculation underlies both, the anticoagulant and the anti-tumor progression effect of heparin.
COBISS.SI-ID: 25527257
Astrocytes actively participate in the inactivation of neurotransmitters. In the present work we elucidated the contribution of astrocytes in clearance of histamine. We found that astrocytes participate in the clearance of extracellular histamine by electrodiffusion and active transport by a yet not identified carrier. Taken up histamine can be converted to tele-methylhistamine within astrocytes thus indicating the involvement of astrocytes not only in clearance but also in the inactivation of histamine.
COBISS.SI-ID: 25315545
This study compared the effects oftoxicity of ethanol and its first metaboliteacetaldehyde in rat astrocytes through celi viability and celi proliferation. We found that long-term exposure of astrocytes to ethanol is more toxic than acute exposure. Acetaldehyde is a much more potent toxin than ethanol, and at least a part of ethanol toxicity is due to ethanol's first metabolite acetaldehyde.
COBISS.SI-ID: 26576345
We genotyped CTLA4 CT60 (rs3087243) functional single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in children with asthma. SNP CT60 in the CTLA4 gene is significantly associated with the response to treatment with inhaled corticosteroids in children with atopic asthma and could be a useful biomarker for personalized therapy in asthmatic children. SNP CT60 in the CTLA4 gene plays only a minor role in genetic susceptibility to childhood asthma in the Caucasian population.
COBISS.SI-ID: 13581334