Departamento de Patologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil.
Department of Mental Health, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, 30130-100, Brazil.
Neurosci Bull. 2019 Jun;35(3):551-560. doi: 10.1007/s12264-018-0296-5. Epub 2018 Oct 26.
Cerebral pericytes are perivascular cells that stabilize blood vessels. Little is known about the plasticity of pericytes in the adult brain in vivo. Recently, using state-of-the-art technologies, including two-photon microscopy in combination with sophisticated Cre/loxP in vivo tracing techniques, a novel role of pericytes was revealed in vascular remodeling in the adult brain. Strikingly, after pericyte ablation, neighboring pericytes expand their processes and prevent vascular dilatation. This new knowledge provides insights into pericyte plasticity in the adult brain.
脑周细胞是稳定血管的血管周细胞。目前对于成年大脑中周细胞的可塑性知之甚少。最近,使用包括双光子显微镜和复杂的 Cre/loxP 体内示踪技术在内的最先进技术,揭示了周细胞在成年大脑中的血管重塑中的新作用。引人注目的是,在周细胞消融后,相邻的周细胞扩展其过程并防止血管扩张。这一新知识为成年大脑中周细胞的可塑性提供了新的见解。