Neuroscience Division, School of Bioscience, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK.
J Physiol. 2013 Feb 15;591(4):775-85. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.2012.243378. Epub 2012 Dec 10.
Our current knowledge of the role of astrocytes in health and disease states supports the view that many physiological brain functions and neurological diseases are finely tuned, and in certain cases fully determined, by the continuous cross-talk between astrocytes and neurons. This novel way of interpreting brain activity as a dynamic and reciprocal interplay between astrocytic and neuronal networks has also influenced our understanding of epilepsy, not only forcing a reinterpretation of old findings, but also being a catalyst for novel experimentation. In this review, we summarize some of the recent studies that highlight these novel distinct contributions of astrocytes to the expression of convulsive and non-convulsive epileptiform discharges and seizures. The emerging picture suggests a general framework based on bilateral signalling between astrocytes and neurons for a fuller understanding of epileptogenic and epileptic mechanisms in the brain network. Astrocytes potentially represent targets for the development of those novel chemical entities with improved efficacy for the treatment of convulsive and non-convulsive epilepsy that expert groups have recognized as one of the key priorities for the management of epilepsy.
我们目前对于星形胶质细胞在健康和疾病状态下的作用的了解支持这样一种观点，即许多生理脑功能和神经疾病是由星形胶质细胞和神经元之间的持续交叉对话精细调节的，在某些情况下是完全决定的。这种将大脑活动解释为星形胶质细胞和神经元网络之间动态和相互作用的新方法也影响了我们对癫痫的理解，不仅迫使对旧发现进行重新解释，而且也是新实验的催化剂。在这篇综述中，我们总结了一些最近的研究，这些研究强调了星形胶质细胞对惊厥和非惊厥样癫痫样放电和癫痫发作的表达的这些新的独特贡献。新兴的图片表明，基于星形胶质细胞和神经元之间的双边信号传递，为更全面地理解大脑网络中的致痫和癫痫机制提供了一个一般框架。星形胶质细胞可能代表着开发那些具有更好疗效的新型化学实体的目标，这些新型化学实体对于治疗惊厥性和非惊厥性癫痫的疗效已得到专家组的认可，被认为是癫痫管理的关键优先事项之一。
