Departamento de Neurociencias and CIBERNED, Universidad del Pas Vasco, Leioa, Spain.
ASN Neuro. 2012 Mar 22;4(2):e00079. doi: 10.1042/AN20110060.
The phylogenetic enlargement of cerebral cortex culminating in the human brain imposed greater communication needs that have been met by the massive expansion of WM (white matter). Damage to WM alters brain function, and numerous neurological diseases feature WM involvement. In the current review, we discuss the major features of WM, the contributions of WM compromise to brain pathophysiology, and some of the mechanisms mediating WM injury. We will emphasize the newly appreciated importance of neurotransmitter signalling in WM, particularly glutamate and ATP signalling, to understanding both normal and abnormal brain functions. A deeper understanding of the mechanisms leading to WM damage will generate much-needed insights for developing therapies for acute and chronic diseases with WM involvement.
大脑皮层的系统发生扩张最终导致了人类大脑的形成，这使得大脑产生了更高的沟通需求，而这一需求是通过大量的 WM（白质）扩张来满足的。WM 的损伤会改变大脑的功能，许多神经退行性疾病都涉及 WM 损伤。在当前的综述中，我们讨论了 WM 的主要特征、WM 损伤对大脑病理生理学的影响，以及介导 WM 损伤的一些机制。我们将强调神经递质信号在 WM 中的新作用，特别是谷氨酸和 ATP 信号，以了解正常和异常的大脑功能。对导致 WM 损伤的机制的深入了解将为开发针对 WM 损伤的急性和慢性疾病的治疗方法提供急需的见解。
