Centre for Neuroscience, Division of Experimental Medicine, Imperial College, London, UK.
Neurology. 2011 Jan 25;76(4):397-404. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e3182088273.
Synaptic transmission in the CNS represents the classic mechanism through which neural cells communicate. While vesicular neurotransmitter release has been known to be the preserve of gray matter, it is now known that synaptic-style release of glutamate, the brain's major excitatory neurotransmitter, occurs deep in white matter. Here it permits communication between axons and glial cells, enabling axon activity to couple with high fidelity to glial physiology. As white matter is increasingly well-recognized as a substrate for disease, dysregulation of white matter synaptic transmission will play an important role in the development of pathologies as diverse as stroke, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer disease, and schizophrenia. This review highlights progress in this new and important field.
中枢神经系统中的突触传递代表了神经细胞进行通讯的经典机制。虽然囊泡神经递质释放一直被认为是灰质的特有现象，但现在已经知道，谷氨酸这种大脑主要的兴奋性神经递质也以突触样方式在白质深处释放。这种释放使得轴突和神经胶质细胞之间能够进行通讯，从而使轴突活动能够与神经胶质生理学高度耦联。由于白质越来越被认为是疾病的基础，因此白质突触传递的失调将在各种疾病的发展中发挥重要作用，如中风、多发性硬化症、阿尔茨海默病和精神分裂症等。本综述强调了这一新的重要领域的进展。
