Glutamate (neurotransmitter)
In neuroscience, glutamate refers to the anion of glutamic acid in its role as a neurotransmitter: a chemical that nerve cells use to send signals to other cells. It is by a wide margin the most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter in the vertebrate nervous system. It is used by every major excitatory function in the vertebrate brain, accounting in total for well over 90% of the synaptic connections in the human brain. It also serves as the primary neurotransmitter for some localized brain regions, such as cerebellum granule cells.
Vitamin D and neurology
The brain requires the use of many neurosteroids to develop and function properly. These molecules are often identified as one of many common substances including thyroid hormones, glucocorticoids, and androgens. However in recent studies, throughout the brain and spinal fluid, vitamin D has begun to surface as one of these neurosteroids.The presence of vitamin D, its activating enzyme, and VDR in the brain leads researchers to question what role vitamin D plays in the brain. Research suggests that vitamin D may function as a modulator in brain development and as a neuroprotectant. In recent studies, vitamin D has exhibited an association with the regulation of nerve growth factor (NGF) synthesis. NGF is responsible for the growth and survival of neurons.
This relationship has also been studied in embryonic and neonatal rats. Developmental vitamin D deficient (DVD) rats have decreased levels of neurotrophic factors, increased mitosis, and decreased apoptosis. These findings suggest that vitamin D potentially affects the development of neurons as well as their maintenance and survival. Current research is underway investigating whether vitamin D is a factor contributing to normal brain functioning.