Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a worldwide health problem that is especially prevalent in young adults. It is characterized by one or more primary injury foci, with secondary spread to initially not compromised areas via cascades of inflammatory response, excitotoxicity, energy failure conditions, and amplification of the original tissue injury by glia. In theory, such progression of injury should be amenable to management. However, all neuroprotective drug trials have failed, and specific treatments remain lacking. These negative results can be explained by a neuron centered approach, excluding the participation of other cell types and pathogenic mechanisms. To change this situation, it is necessary to secure a better understanding of the biological mechanisms determining damage progression or spread. We discuss the biological mechanisms involved in the progression of post-trauma tissue damage, including the general physiopathology of TBI and cellular mechanisms of secondary damage such as inflammation, apoptosis, cell tumefaction, excitotoxicity, and the role of glia in damage propagation. We highlight the role of glia in each cellular mechanism discussed. Therapeutic approaches related to the described mechanisms have been included. The discussion is completed with a working model showing the convergence of the main topics.

El traumatismo encéfalo craneano (TEC) es un problema de salud de distribución mundial, y es especialmente prevalente en la población adulta joven. Es característica la presencia de uno o más focos de daño, que luego progresan hacia áreas inicialmente no lesionadas, mediante cascadas de respuesta inflamatoria, excitotoxicidad, condiciones de falla energética, y la participación de la glía amplificando la respuesta tisular al daño inicial. Esta progresión es, en teoría, susceptible de una intervención terapéutica. Sin embargo, hasta ahora todos los estudios con fármacos neuroprotectores han fracasado, no existiendo un tratamiento específico efectivo. Los resultados negativos se explican en parte por el empleo de una estrategia centrada solo en las neuronas, sin considerar otras células participantes, u otros mecanismos patogénicos. Para cambiar este panorama, es necesario re-enfocar el problema a través de una mejor comprensión de los mecanismos que determinan la progresión del daño. En esta revisión discutiremos los principales mecanismos biológicos involucrados en la progresión del daño tisular post-trauma. Se aborda la fisiopatología general de los tipos de traumatismos, mecanismos celulares del daño secundario incluyendo inflamación, apoptosis, tumefacción celular, excitoxicidad, y participación de la glía en la propagación del daño. Se destaca el papel de la glía en cada uno de los mecanismos celulares mencionados. Se incluyen algunas aproximaciones terapéuticas relacionadas con los mecanismos descritos. Se finaliza con un diagrama general que resume los principales aspectos discutidos.

Gap junction channels are sites of cytoplasmic communication between contacting cells. In vertebrates, they consist of protein subunits denoted connexins (Cxs) which are encoded by a gene family. According to their Cx composition, gap junction channels show different gating and permeability properties that define which ions and small molecules permeate them. Differences in Cx primary sequences suggest that channels composed of different Cxs are regulated differentially by intracellular pathways under specific physiological conditions. Functional roles of gap junction channels could be defined by the relative importance of permeant substances, resulting in coordination of electrical and/or metabolic cellular responses. Cells of the native and specific immune systems establish transient homo- and heterocellular contacts at various steps of the immune response. Morphological and functional studies reported during the last three decades have revealed that many intercellular contacts between cells in the immune response present gap junctions or "gap junction-like" structures. Partial characterization of the molecular composition of some of these plasma membrane structures and regulatory mechanisms that control them have been published recently. Studies designed to elucidate their physiological roles suggest that they might permit coordination of cellular events which favor the effective and timely response of the immune system.

Gap junctions are constituted by intercellular channels and provide a pathway for transfer of ions and small molecules between adjacent cells of most tissues. The degree of intercellular coupling mediated by gap junctions depends on the number of gap junction channels and their activity may be a function of the state of phosphorylation of connexins, the structural subunit of gap junction channels. Protein phosphorylation has been proposed to control intercellular gap junctional communication at several steps from gene expression to protein degradation, including translational and post-translational modification of connexins (i.e., phosphorylation of the assembled channel acting as a gating mechanism) and assembly into and removal from the plasma membrane. Several connexins contain sites for phosphorylation for more than one protein kinase. These consensus sites vary between connexins and have been preferentially identified in the C-terminus. Changes in intercellular communication mediated by protein phosphorylation are believed to control various physiological tissue and cell functions as well as to be altered under pathological conditions.