鋅離子是人體中含量第二高的微量元素僅次於鐵離子。在許多酵素的功能、控制基因的表現及神經訊息傳導中扮演重要的角色。在細胞內大部分的鋅離子緊密地結合在蛋白質中，像 metallothionein 或細胞膜上，僅有少部分的鋅離子呈游離狀態或是與其他物質以弱結合力結合在一起。而當神經細胞活化時，鋅離子與麩胺酸會被釋放到細胞外，而這些鋅離子對於細胞的影響至今仍尚未釐清。只知道細胞外的鋅離子對於 AMPA、NMDA 及 GABAA receptor 具有調控的能力。在我們的實驗中利用 TSQ 螢光染劑(Lot : 91K1125)染固定後的人工培養的大腦皮質細胞，發現能標定神經細胞內非游離態的鋅離子。由結果顯示這些可被 TSQ (Lot : 91K1125)標定到的TSQ- positive spot 可能是神經細胞中具弱結合力的鋅儲藏結構，於細胞去極化作用後細胞 process 上的 TSQ- positive spot 數目會有顯著的降低，且發現僅有極少數 spot 是位在前突觸端。然而，使用不同批號之 TSQ染劑(Lot : 073K0929)卻沒有相同的染色結果，因此 TSQ 之研究被迫中斷。而利用 Newport Green DCF 鋅離子螢光染劑觀察神經細胞在活的狀態下染色的情形，發現約有一半的細胞經 KCl 去極化作用後細胞內的螢光染劑會消失，相同的結果也在另一鋅離子螢光染劑子Rhod Zin-3實驗結果中觀察到，顯示此為細胞內與染劑結合的鋅離子釋放的結果。由藥理實驗結果推論，可能是由 voltage-gated Ca 2+ channel 調控細胞的去極化作用，造成細胞 exocytosis，使得麩胺酸由前突觸釋放，因而活化後突觸上 NMDA 及 non-NMDA receptor，而鋅離子則經由 non-NMDA receptor中的 Zn2+/Ca2+- permeable AMPA receptor-gated channels 釋放至細胞外。在過程中 NMDA receptor 可能擔任了某種調控的角色。

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方怡之(2002) 胎鼠大腦神經元麩胺酸受器對鈣離子通透性之研究.
國立清華大學碩士論文.