星形胶质细胞与缺血性脑损伤

Astrocytes and cerebral ischemic injury

星形胶质细胞是脑中存在最多的细胞类型,能够为神经元提供代谢、营养支持及调节突触活性。脑缺血等病理状态下,反应性星形胶质细胞通过一系列生化过程的改变,诸如调节能量代谢、清除兴奋性氨基酸、抗氧化作用、分泌神经保护物质等发挥神经保护作用。缺血时星形胶质细胞内相关信号通路被激活,对细胞凋亡起调控作用。星形胶质细胞中相关酶、离子通道以及信号分子都可成为潜在的治疗靶点,通过药物干预,间接发挥神经保护作用。进一步阐明星形胶质细胞在缺血性脑损伤中的作用,可以为基于星形胶质细胞的新药研发提供思路。

Astrocytes, the most abundant cell type in the brain, provide metabolic and trophic support to neurons and modulate synaptic activity. In pathologic conditions such as cerebral ischemia, reactive astrocytes play neuroprotective roles by changing a series of biochemical processes, including regulating energy metabolism, scav- enging excitatory amino acid, secretion of neuroprotective substances, and antioxidant defense. Moreover, related signal transduction pathways are activated in astrocytes after cerebral ischemia, which are involved in regulation of cell apoptosis. The enzymes, ion channels and signaling molecules in astrocytes are potential therapeutical targets for indirect neuroprotection by pharmacological interference. This review tries to give more perspectives about the roles of astrocytes during cerebral ischemic injury to provide a strategy based on astrocytes for new drug development.