Ghirnikar R S, Eng L F
Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, California.
Glia. 1994 Aug;11(4):367-77. doi: 10.1002/glia.440110409.
After injury, either as a result of trauma or degenerating/demyelinating diseases, axons of the central nervous system (CNS) normally fail to regenerate. Transplantation of glial cells, particularly Schwann cells, into areas of injury or demyelination has been considered a promising approach to promote recovery. However, the extent of Schwann cell interaction with CNS axons is greatly influenced by the presence of astrocytes which redefine the CNS-PNS (peripheral nervous system) boundary in a lesioned CNS, thereby preventing invasion of Schwann cells. The molecular basis for this restrictive effect of astrocytes on Schwann cells is not known. In the present study, we have cocultured astrocytes and Schwann cells to develop an in vitro model to characterize this interaction. Astrocytes in contact with Schwann cells appeared hypertrophied and showed increased staining for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). In cocultures maintained for 2-3 weeks, segregation of the two cell types was observed, Schwann cells appeared in groups, and each group was surrounded and separated from one another by astrocytic processes. Since the behavior of these two cell types observed in culture is very similar to their interaction seen in vivo, this coculture model may be useful in further studying the relationship between astrocytes and Schwann cells.
受伤后，无论是由于创伤还是退行性/脱髓鞘疾病，中枢神经系统（CNS）的轴突通常无法再生。将胶质细胞，特别是雪旺细胞移植到损伤或脱髓鞘区域，被认为是促进恢复的一种有前景的方法。然而，雪旺细胞与中枢神经系统轴突的相互作用程度受到星形胶质细胞的极大影响，星形胶质细胞在受损的中枢神经系统中重新定义了中枢神经系统与外周神经系统（PNS）的边界，从而阻止了雪旺细胞的侵入。星形胶质细胞对雪旺细胞这种限制作用的分子基础尚不清楚。在本研究中，我们将星形胶质细胞和雪旺细胞共培养，以建立一个体外模型来表征这种相互作用。与雪旺细胞接触的星形胶质细胞出现肥大，并显示胶质纤维酸性蛋白（GFAP）染色增加。在共培养2至3周的培养物中，观察到两种细胞类型分离，雪旺细胞成组出现，每组被星形胶质细胞突起包围并相互分隔。由于在培养中观察到的这两种细胞类型的行为与它们在体内的相互作用非常相似，这种共培养模型可能有助于进一步研究星形胶质细胞和雪旺细胞之间的关系。
