Role of calcium and kinases on the neurotrophic effect induced by γ-aminobutyric acid

An increasing body of evidence supports a trophic action of γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) during nervous system development. The purported mediator of these trophic effects is a depolarizing response triggered by GABA, which elicits a calcium influx in immature CNS cells. This Mini‐Review focuses on the neurotrophic role of neural activity and GABA and some of the most common intracellular cascades activated by depolarization and trophic factors. Several biological effects induced by GABA in the developing nervous system are reviewed, with particular emphasis on what is known about calcium‐dependent neurotrophic effects induced by GABA and its intracellular mechanisms. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.