Unger J W
Department of Neuroanatomy, University of Munich, Germany.
Microsc Res Tech. 1998 Oct 1;43(1):24-8. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0029(19981001)43:1<24::AID-JEMT4>3.0.CO;2-P.
It is well-established that glial cells play an important role during injury and neurodegenerative processes in the central nervous system. In normal aging, no global glia proliferation is found morphologically, but reactive gliosis has been described in specific areas of the limbic system and neocortex that undergo selective neuronal or synaptic degeneration in nondemented elderly persons. In addition, there is an age-associated increase in the metabolic turnover of cellular proteins, such as glial fibrillary acidic protein, in human brain tissue, even without detectable signs of neurodegeneration. In contrast to the relatively moderate overall glial changes in normal aging, the close association of activated astrocytes and microglial cells with neuritic plaques and cells undergoing neurofibrillary degeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD), the expression of receptors for complement by glial cells, and the release of soluble cytokines strongly suggest that inflammatory processes may play an important part in the complex pathophysiological interactions that occur in AD. Understanding the role of glia in age-associated neurodegenerative disorders may provide new insights into the neurobiology of glia-neuronal interaction and may allow the development of strategies to alter the disease process. This review aims to summarize some of the important aspects of glial cells in aging and dementia.
众所周知，胶质细胞在中枢神经系统的损伤和神经退行性变过程中发挥着重要作用。在正常衰老过程中，从形态学上未发现整体胶质细胞增殖，但在非痴呆老年人中，在经历选择性神经元或突触退变的边缘系统和新皮质的特定区域已描述有反应性胶质增生。此外，即使在无神经退行性变可检测迹象的情况下，人脑组织中细胞蛋白（如胶质纤维酸性蛋白）的代谢周转率也会随年龄增长而增加。与正常衰老中相对温和的整体胶质细胞变化形成对比的是，在阿尔茨海默病（AD）中，活化的星形胶质细胞和小胶质细胞与神经炎性斑块以及经历神经原纤维变性的细胞密切相关，胶质细胞表达补体受体以及释放可溶性细胞因子，这强烈表明炎症过程可能在AD发生的复杂病理生理相互作用中起重要作用。了解胶质细胞在与年龄相关的神经退行性疾病中的作用，可能会为胶质细胞 - 神经元相互作用的神经生物学提供新的见解，并可能有助于制定改变疾病进程的策略。本综述旨在总结衰老和痴呆中胶质细胞的一些重要方面。
