Work

Carbon Monoxide and the Brain: Time to Rethink the Dogma

Year: 2013

Type: article

Abstract: Carbon Monoxide (CO), long thought to be a simple environmental pollutant is now known to have a critical role in cellular functions ranging from vasodilation to circadian rhythms. In this review, we will begin with a discussion of the enzyme responsible for CO production: heme oxygenase. Because this review will focus on the effects of CO in the brain, we will transition to CO toxicology and determine if this simple diatomic gas has really earned its nefarious reputation. An in depth analysis of the roles for CO in circadian rhythms and as a gasotransmitter will be provided in the neurological functional role section, followed by its vascular effects derived mainly from interactions with soluble guanylyl cyclase. We will then describe the evidence for CO's protective roles through the MAPK pathway, and finally touch upon the potential therapeutic roles for CO in neurological diseases including ischemic stroke, multiple sclerosis, and neuropathic pain.

Source: Current Pharmaceutical Design

DOI: 10.2174/1381612811319150013

Authors: Khalid A. Hanafy, Justin Oh, Leo E. Otterbein

Institutions: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard University

Language: English

Topic: Heme Oxygenase-1 and Carbon Monoxide

Subfield: Molecular Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke