Ma Y J, Ojeda S R
Division of Neuroscience, Oregon Regional Primate Research Center, Beaverton, USA.
J Investig Dermatol Symp Proc. 1997 Aug;2(1):19-22. doi: 10.1038/jidsymp.1997.5.
Emerging evidence suggests that, in addition to neuronal inputs, growth factors of glial origin are also important in the control of mammalian puberty via a cell-cell interaction that ultimately affects the neurons that release gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), a neurohormone controlling sexual development. Among these growth factors, transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF alpha) appears to be one of the physiologic components that controls the onset of female puberty by affecting GnRH neuronal activity in a glia-mediated autocrine/paracrine manner. Specifically, TGF alpha induces glia to produce bioactive substances, such as prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). In turn, PGE2 directly acts on GnRH neurons to stimulate the release of GnRH. Furthermore, the neuroregulin of glial origin neu differentiation factor (NDF) was found to facilitate the action of TGF alpha, suggesting that other growth factors may exert their biologic effects on GnRH neuronal function via a glia/neuron interaction. Another indication that glial cells may be involved in the regulation of neuroendocrine function is the presence of estrogen receptors on hypothalamic astrocytes. Thus, region-specific glial cells appear to play an integral role in the regulation of neuroendocrine function.
新出现的证据表明，除了神经元输入外，胶质细胞来源的生长因子在通过细胞间相互作用控制哺乳动物青春期方面也很重要，这种相互作用最终会影响释放促性腺激素释放激素（GnRH）的神经元，GnRH是一种控制性发育的神经激素。在这些生长因子中，转化生长因子α（TGFα）似乎是通过以胶质细胞介导的自分泌/旁分泌方式影响GnRH神经元活动来控制女性青春期开始的生理成分之一。具体而言，TGFα诱导胶质细胞产生生物活性物质，如前列腺素E2（PGE2）。反过来，PGE2直接作用于GnRH神经元以刺激GnRH的释放。此外，发现胶质细胞来源的神经调节蛋白神经分化因子（NDF）可促进TGFα的作用，这表明其他生长因子可能通过胶质细胞/神经元相互作用对GnRH神经元功能发挥其生物学效应。另一个表明胶质细胞可能参与神经内分泌功能调节的迹象是下丘脑星形胶质细胞上存在雌激素受体。因此，区域特异性胶质细胞似乎在神经内分泌功能的调节中起着不可或缺的作用。
