中风使大脑细胞失去关键的氧气和葡萄糖，导致细胞混沌，可以在几分钟内造成细胞死亡。
目前，研究人员找到了响应中风应激的关键离子通道，该通道促进细胞死亡。Roger Thompson及其同事指出，这些被称为"半通道"的通道可能会成为预防中风神经细胞死亡的一个重要的药物靶标。研究人员发现，低氧和低葡萄糖的结合打开了大脑的锥体细胞中由Pannexin 1蛋白组成的半通道，从而打开了细胞膜中钙、钠、钾离子功能异常流动的大门，导致细胞死亡。
参考文献：Ischemia Opens Neuronal Gap Junction Hemichannels, Roger J. Thompson, Ning Zhou, and Brian A. MacVicar
Science. 2006 May 12;312(5775):924-7.
Ischemia opens neuronal gap junction hemichannels
Thompson RJ, Zhou N, MacVicar BA.
Department of Psychiatry and Brain Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 2B5, Canada.
摘要：Neuronal excitotoxicity during stroke is caused by activation of unidentified large-conductance channels, leading to swelling and calcium dysregulation. We show that ischemic-like conditions [O(2)/glucose deprivation (OGD)] open hemichannels, or half gap junctions, in neurons. Hemichannel opening was indicated by a large linear current and flux across the membrane of small fluorescent molecules. Single-channel openings of hemichannels (530 picosiemens) were observed in OGD. Both the current and dye flux were blocked by inhibitors of hemichannels. Therefore, hemichannel opening contributes to the profound ionic dysregulation during stroke and may be a ubiquitous component of ischemic neuronal death.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/utils/lofref.fcgi?PrId=3051&uid=16690868&db=pubmed&url=http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=16690868
编辑：xiongyt2003
