Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER)-Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382355, India.
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER)-Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382355, India.
Eur J Pharmacol. 2023 Nov 15;959:176048. doi: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2023.176048. Epub 2023 Sep 26.
For a long time, neurons held the position of central players in the nervous system. Since there are far more astrocytes than neurons in the brain, it makes us wonder if these cells just take up space and support the neurons or if they are actively participating in central nervous system (CNS) homeostasis. Now, astrocytes' contribution to CNS physiology is appreciated as they are known to regulate ion and neurotransmitter levels, synapse formation and elimination, blood-brain barrier integrity, immune function, cerebral blood flow, and many more. In many neurological and psychiatric disorders, astrocyte functions are altered. Advancements in microscopic and transcriptomic tools revealed populations of astrocytes with varied morphology, electrophysiological properties, and transcriptomic profiles. Neuron-circuit-specific functions and neuron-specific interactions of astroglial subpopulations are found, which suggests that diversity is essential in carrying out diverse region-specific CNS functions. Investigations on heterogeneous astrocyte populations are revealing new astrocyte functions and their role in pathological conditions, opening a new therapeutic avenue for targeting neurological conditions. The true extent of astrocytic heterogeneity and its functional implications are yet to be fully explored. This review summarizes essential astrocytic functions and their relevance in pathological conditions and discusses astrocytic diversity in relation to morphology, function, and gene expression throughout the CNS.
长期以来，神经元在神经系统中一直处于核心地位。由于大脑中的星形胶质细胞远远多于神经元，这让我们不禁怀疑这些细胞是否只是占据空间并为神经元提供支持，还是它们在中枢神经系统（CNS）稳态中积极参与。现在，星形胶质细胞对 CNS 生理学的贡献得到了认可，因为它们被认为可以调节离子和神经递质水平、突触形成和消除、血脑屏障完整性、免疫功能、脑血流等。在许多神经和精神疾病中，星形胶质细胞的功能发生了改变。显微镜和转录组工具的进步揭示了具有不同形态、电生理特性和转录组特征的星形胶质细胞群体。发现了神经元-神经元特定功能和神经元特定相互作用的星形胶质细胞亚群，这表明多样性对于执行多样化的特定区域 CNS 功能至关重要。对异质星形胶质细胞群体的研究揭示了新的星形胶质细胞功能及其在病理条件下的作用，为靶向神经疾病开辟了新的治疗途径。星形胶质细胞异质性的真实程度及其功能意义仍有待充分探索。这篇综述总结了星形胶质细胞的基本功能及其在病理条件下的相关性，并讨论了星形胶质细胞在整个中枢神经系统中的形态、功能和基因表达方面的多样性。
