星形胶质细胞嘌呤能信号在癫痫中的作用

Role of astrocyte purinergic signaling in epilepsy

癫痫是由神经元的超同步放电引起的不可预知的反复发作。越来越多的研究表明,星形胶质细胞向神经元传递信号的异常在神经网络的过度兴奋中起着重要作用。对多种中枢神经系统疾病(如阿尔茨海默病、卒中、重度抑郁、精神分裂症和癫痫)的病理学研究结果显示,嘌呤信号传导在神经元-胶质细胞和胶质细胞-胶质细胞相互作用中有重要的作用,嘌呤受体障碍可影响细胞间的信号传导。本综述将首先对星形胶质细胞影响神经元活动的机制进行分析总结。近期研究显示,星形胶质细胞嘌呤信号转导的异常促进了癫痫中神经元异常活动的出现,本综述也将对相关研究报道进行描述和总结。

Epilepsy is characterized by unpredictable recurrent seizures resulting from hypersynchronous discharges from neuron assemblies. Increasing evidence indicates that aberrant astrocyte signaling to neurons plays an important role in driving the network hyperexcitability. Purinergic signaling is central in neuron-glia and glia-glia interactions and dysfunctions in communication pathways involving purinergic receptors have been reported in various CNS pathologies, such as Alzheimer disease, stroke, major depression, schizophrenia, and epilepsy. In the present review we will first discuss the mechanisms by which astrocytes influence neuronal activity. We will then review in more details recent evidence indicating that dysregulation of astrocyte purinergic signaling actively contributes to the appearance of abnormal neuronal activity in epilepsy.