Lecture 12: Excitotoxicity

Question 1

How does increase in Ca kill cells?

Answer 1

Ca enzymes activated (Lipases, nucleases, proteases, NOs) which causes membrane damage, etc.

Ca also can induce mitoch. damage, leading to energy failure and caspase activation.

Question 2

What is ALS?

Answer 2

Amytrophic Lateral Sclerosis (adult motorneuron disease - upper and lower)

Involves Cu/Zn SOD mutation, or decr. in glutamate transporter expression (thus incr. in glutamate)

Question 3

4 drug therapies for ALS?

Answer 3

Decr. glutamate release
Block NMDA receptors
Non-NMDA receptor targets
Block intracellular cascade

Question 4

Riluzole does what?

Answer 4

decreases glutamate release by blocking Na channels, so no depol. occurs