Biochemical plasticity
Many events can alter the neurotransmitter phenotype of central nervous system (CNS) neurones. For instance, most neurones down-regulate their neurotransmitters and the enzymes that make them after axotomy or other forms of damage. Neurotrophins tend to cause neurons to upregulate their neurotransmitter phenotype or even change it, and neurotrophins often prevent the downregulation of neurotransmitter phenotype after damage. There are so many examples of these types of behaviour that it would not be sensible in this book to try and detail them all. However, there are two particular experimental models in which neuroplasticity of this type has been analysed in detail, and this chapter describes them.
Keywords: central nervous system, neurones, neurotransmitter phenotype, axotomy, downregulation, neuroplasticity
Oxford Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.
Please, subscribe or login to access full text content.
If you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian.
To troubleshoot, please check our FAQs , and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us .