Abstract
Evidence is provided that carbonic anhydrase-II is localized in the central nervous system to wide spread systems of oligodendrocytes and restricted astroglia populations, involving both fiber bundles and neuropil. It is suggested that CO2 formed in activated axons may, via carbonic anhydrase-II, give rise to protons controlling the excitability of surrounding neuropil. Thus, CO2 may represent an important, highly diffusible, signal in brain, involved in the tonic control of neuronal activity.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Astrocytes / enzymology
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Carbon Dioxide / metabolism
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Carbon Dioxide / physiology
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Carbonic Anhydrases / metabolism*
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Carbonic Anhydrases / physiology
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Caudate Nucleus / enzymology
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Cerebral Cortex / enzymology*
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Fluorescent Antibody Technique
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Hippocampus / enzymology
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Humans
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Immunohistochemistry
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Infant, Newborn
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Male
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Nucleus Accumbens / enzymology
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Oligodendroglia / enzymology
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Putamen / enzymology
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Rats
Substances
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Carbon Dioxide
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Carbonic Anhydrases