Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Department of Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
J Neurochem. 2021 Apr;157(1):42-52. doi: 10.1111/jnc.15312. Epub 2021 Mar 3.
Evidence is accumulating that the mammalian circadian clock system is considerably more complex than previously believed, also in terms of the cell types that actually contribute to generating the oscillation within the master clock, in the suprachiasmatic nuclei of the hypothalamus. Here we review the evidence that has lead to the identification of a bona fide astrocytic circadian clock, and that of the potential contribution of such clock to the generation of circadian and seasonal rhythmicity in health and in neurodegenerative disorders. Finally, we speculate on the role of the astrocytic clock in determining some of the clinical features of hepatic encephalopathy, a reversible neuropsychiatric syndrome associated with advanced liver disease, which is characterized by transient, profound morphological and functional astrocytic abnormalities, in the absence of significant, structural neuronal changes.
证据不断积累，表明哺乳动物的生物钟系统比以前认为的要复杂得多，特别是在实际有助于产生下丘脑视交叉上核主钟振荡的细胞类型方面。在这里，我们回顾了导致鉴定出真正的星形胶质细胞生物钟的证据，以及这种生物钟对健康和神经退行性疾病中昼夜节律和季节性节律的潜在贡献。最后，我们推测星形胶质细胞生物钟在决定肝性脑病（一种与晚期肝病相关的可逆性神经精神综合征）的一些临床特征中的作用，肝性脑病的特征是短暂的、深刻的形态和功能星形胶质细胞异常，而没有明显的结构性神经元变化。
