星形胶质细胞对脑血管功能的调控

Astrocytes in the Regulation of Cerebrovascular Functions

星形胶质细胞是脑内神经胶质细胞中数量最多的一种类型,对脑血管系统具有重要的影响。它们参与调控血管周围内稳态、血脑屏障的完整性、与外周免疫系统的交流、血液中代谢物的转移以及与神经元活动相应的血管收缩。这些调控过程发生在由血管周围星形胶质细胞突起组成的几乎完全覆盖了脑血管特殊界面中。科学家直到最近才开始研究这种界面的形成方式及其如何影响脑血管功能。本文综述了有关星形胶质细胞在调节脑血管系统中作用的文献。涵盖了胶质血管界面的解剖结构和发育、已知的胶质血管功能和分子因素、后者在某些病理生理情况下的作用以及最近开发的用于检验星形胶质细胞在血管界面作用的尖端实验工具。最后,本综述重点介绍了该研究领域中的一些尚未解决的问题。

Astrocytes are the most numerous type of neuroglia in the brain and have a predominant influence on the cerebrovascular system;they control perivascular homeostasis,the integrity of the blood-brain barrier,the dialogue with the peripheral immune system,the transfer of metabolites from the blood,and blood vessel contractility in response to neuronal activity.These regulatory processes occur in a specialized interface composed of perivascular astrocyte extensions that almost completely cover the cerebral blood vessels.Scientists have only recently started to study how this interface is formed and how it influences cerebrovascular functions.Here,we review the literature on the astrocytes’role in the regulation of the cerebrovascular system.We cover the anatomy and development of the gliovascular interface,the known gliovascular functions,and molecular factors,the latter’s implication in certain pathophysiological situations,and recent cutting-edge experimental tools developed to examine the astrocytes’role at the vascular interface.Finally,we highlight some open questions in this field of research.