Aschner M, Allen J W
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1083, USA.
Neurotoxicology. 2000 Aug;21(4):573-9.
Astrocytes occupy approximately 25% of the CNS volume. Their "foot" processes are closely associated with synapses, nodes of Ranvier, axonal tracts, and capillaries. Astrocytic functions include neurotrophic factor secretion, control of extracellular pH, inactivation of glutamate, as well as uptake and metabolism of neurotransmitters. Astrocyte-neuron interactions provide strategic sites for actions of numerous chemical compounds. In this manuscript, we discuss examples of toxins that directly affect astrocyte function (methylmercury, ammonia, methionine sulfoximine, and alcohol), leading to an altered homeostatic control of the extracellular milieu and neuronal dysfunction. In addition, the potential role of astrocytic proteins, the metallothioneins, in attenuating the neurotoxicity of methylmercury is discussed.
星形胶质细胞约占中枢神经系统体积的25%。它们的“足”突与突触、郎飞结、轴突束和毛细血管紧密相连。星形胶质细胞的功能包括分泌神经营养因子、控制细胞外pH值、使谷氨酸失活以及摄取和代谢神经递质。星形胶质细胞与神经元的相互作用为众多化合物的作用提供了关键位点。在本手稿中，我们讨论了直接影响星形胶质细胞功能的毒素（甲基汞、氨、蛋氨酸亚砜胺和酒精）的例子，这些毒素会导致细胞外环境稳态控制的改变和神经元功能障碍。此外，还讨论了星形胶质细胞蛋白金属硫蛋白在减轻甲基汞神经毒性方面的潜在作用。
