Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea.
Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea.
J Pharmacol Sci. 2021 Mar;145(3):223-227. doi: 10.1016/j.jphs.2020.12.007. Epub 2020 Dec 29.
In the central nervous system, microglia are regarded as the main cells responsible for phagocytosis, contributing to neural circuit refinement and homeostasis through synapse elimination. However, recent findings have shown that astrocytes also actively participate in synapse homeostasis through phagocytosing synapses, neuronal debris, axonal mitochondria, and pathological protein aggregates. In addition, it has been also suggested that astrocytes may regulate microglial phagocytosis by secreting molecules such as IL-33 and C3. Here, we have introduced key findings regarding direct and indirect astrocyte-mediated phagocytosis in CNS development, the sleep/wake cycle, and aging. We have also discussed current information about reactive astrocytes and their phagocytic function in the diseased brain, focusing on ischemia and Alzheimer's disease. Through this review, we aim to provide an overview of the current status as well as future perspectives regarding the important role of astrocytic control of phagocytosis.
在中枢神经系统中，小胶质细胞被认为是主要的吞噬细胞，通过消除突触来参与神经回路的细化和稳态维持。然而，最近的研究结果表明，星形胶质细胞也通过吞噬突触、神经元碎片、轴突线粒体和病理性蛋白聚集体来积极参与突触稳态调节。此外，还有研究表明，星形胶质细胞可能通过分泌 IL-33 和 C3 等分子来调节小胶质细胞的吞噬作用。在这里，我们介绍了关于星形胶质细胞在中枢神经系统发育、睡眠/觉醒周期和衰老过程中直接和间接介导吞噬作用的关键发现。我们还讨论了目前关于反应性星形胶质细胞及其在病变大脑中吞噬功能的信息，重点关注缺血和阿尔茨海默病。通过这篇综述，我们旨在概述星形胶质细胞对吞噬作用的控制的重要作用的现状和未来展望。
