Acaz-Fonseca Estefania, Sanchez-Gonzalez Rebeca, Azcoitia Iñigo, Arevalo Maria Angeles, Garcia-Segura Luis M
Instituto Cajal, CSIC, E-28002 Madrid, Spain.
Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Biología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, E-28040 Madrid, Spain.
Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2014 May 25;389(1-2):48-57. doi: 10.1016/j.mce.2014.01.009. Epub 2014 Jan 18.
Neuroprotective actions of 17β-estradiol (estradiol) are in part mediated by direct actions on neurons. Astrocytes, which play an essential role in the maintenance of the homeostasis of neural tissue, express estrogen receptors and are also involved in the neuroprotective actions of estradiol in the brain. Estradiol controls gliosis and regulates neuroinflammation, edema and glutamate transport acting on astrocytes. In addition, the hormone regulates the release of neurotrophic factors and other neuroprotective molecules by astrocytes. In addition, reactive astrocytes are a local source of neuroprotective estradiol for the injured brain. Since estradiol therapy is not free from peripheral risks, alternatives for the hormone have been explored. Some selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), which are already in use in clinical practice for the treatment of breast cancer, osteoporosis or menopausal symptoms, exert similar actions to estradiol on astrocytes. Therefore, SERMs represent therapeutic alternatives to estradiol for the activation of astroglia-mediated neuroprotective mechanisms.
17β-雌二醇（雌二醇）的神经保护作用部分是通过对神经元的直接作用介导的。星形胶质细胞在维持神经组织内环境稳定中起重要作用，它表达雌激素受体，也参与雌二醇在脑内的神经保护作用。雌二醇通过作用于星形胶质细胞来控制胶质增生，调节神经炎症、水肿和谷氨酸转运。此外，该激素还调节星形胶质细胞释放神经营养因子和其他神经保护分子。另外，反应性星形胶质细胞是受损脑内神经保护雌二醇的局部来源。由于雌二醇治疗并非没有外周风险，因此人们一直在探索该激素的替代物。一些选择性雌激素受体调节剂（SERMs）已在临床实践中用于治疗乳腺癌、骨质疏松症或更年期症状，它们对星形胶质细胞的作用与雌二醇相似。因此，SERMs是激活星形胶质细胞介导的神经保护机制的雌二醇治疗替代物。
