Jessen Nadia Aalling, Munk Anne Sofie Finmann, Lundgaard Iben, Nedergaard Maiken
School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Ave, Box 645, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA.
Neurochem Res. 2015 Dec;40(12):2583-99. doi: 10.1007/s11064-015-1581-6. Epub 2015 May 7.
The glymphatic system is a recently discovered macroscopic waste clearance system that utilizes a unique system of perivascular tunnels, formed by astroglial cells, to promote efficient elimination of soluble proteins and metabolites from the central nervous system. Besides waste elimination, the glymphatic system also facilitates brain-wide distribution of several compounds, including glucose, lipids, amino acids, growth factors, and neuromodulators. Intriguingly, the glymphatic system function mainly during sleep and is largely disengaged during wakefulness. The biological need for sleep across all species may therefore reflect that the brain must enter a state of activity that enables elimination of potentially neurotoxic waste products, including β-amyloid. Since the concept of the glymphatic system is relatively new, we will here review its basic structural elements, organization, regulation, and functions. We will also discuss recent studies indicating that glymphatic function is suppressed in various diseases and that failure of glymphatic function in turn might contribute to pathology in neurodegenerative disorders, traumatic brain injury and stroke.
类淋巴系统是最近发现的一种宏观废物清除系统，它利用由星形胶质细胞形成的独特的血管周围通道系统，促进从中枢神经系统有效清除可溶性蛋白质和代谢产物。除了清除废物外，类淋巴系统还促进包括葡萄糖、脂质、氨基酸、生长因子和神经调质在内的多种化合物在全脑的分布。有趣的是，类淋巴系统主要在睡眠期间发挥作用，而在清醒时基本停止。因此，所有物种对睡眠的生物学需求可能反映出大脑必须进入一种能够清除潜在神经毒性废物（包括β-淀粉样蛋白）的活动状态。由于类淋巴系统的概念相对较新，我们将在此回顾其基本结构要素、组织、调节和功能。我们还将讨论最近的研究，这些研究表明类淋巴功能在各种疾病中受到抑制，而类淋巴功能的失败反过来可能导致神经退行性疾病、创伤性脑损伤和中风的病理变化。
