The neurobiology of glia in the context of water and ion homeostasis

Simard, Marie; Nedergaard, Maiken

doi:10.1016/j.neuroscience.2004.09.053

Cited by 531 publications

(399 citation statements)

References 230 publications

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“…Altered glial coverage could also affect astrocyte‐neuron lactate transport contributing to synaptic efficacy (Suzuki et al, 2011) and local water homeostasis (Simard and Nedergaard, 2004). In summary, there is a plethora of physiologically plausible candidate mechanisms that could underpin the adaptive role of astroglial remodeling in local neural network activity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphological plasticity of astroglia: Understanding synaptic microenvironment

Heller

Rusakov

2015

Glia

132

137

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Memory formation in the brain is thought to rely on the remodeling of synaptic connections which eventually results in neural network rewiring. This remodeling is likely to involve ultrathin astroglial protrusions which often occur in the immediate vicinity of excitatory synapses. The phenomenology, cellular mechanisms, and causal relationships of such astroglial restructuring remain, however, poorly understood. This is in large part because monitoring and probing of the underpinning molecular machinery on the scale of nanoscopic astroglial compartments remains a challenge. Here we briefly summarize the current knowledge regarding the cellular organisation of astroglia in the synaptic microenvironment and discuss molecular mechanisms potentially involved in use‐dependent astroglial morphogenesis. We also discuss recent observations concerning morphological astroglial plasticity, the respective monitoring methods, and some of the newly emerging techniques that might help with conceptual advances in the area. GLIA 2015;63:2133–2151

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphological plasticity of astroglia: Understanding synaptic microenvironment

Heller

Rusakov

2015

Glia

132

137

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“…Astroglial water transport is functionally linked to activation of water channels aquaporins that are concentrated in perisynaptic processes and in the astroglial endfeet structures. 31 Astroglial cells are central elements of homeostasis of neurotransmitters in the brain. They are particularly important for homeostasis and turnover of the main excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate being the main sink of glutamate in the brain; from the bulk of glutamate released during synaptic transmission, approximately 20% is accumulated into neurons, whereas the remaining 80% is taken up by perisynaptic astrocytes.…”

Section: Brain Homeostasismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…23,24,26 Furthermore, astroglial endfeet, which plaster brain capillaries, regulate formation of tight junctions (i.e., controlling the bloodbrain barrier) and have a central role in the transport of water and electrolytes, as well as in the utilization of glucose and providing neurons with energy substrates. 28,31,189,191 In AD, the neurovascular unit is specifically targeted because A␤ plaques often encompass brain capillaries (FIG. 1), thus affecting microcirculation and vascular A␤ clearance.…”

Section: Astroglia and ␤-Amyloidmentioning

confidence: 99%

Astrocytes in Alzheimer's Disease

et al. 2010

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Summary:The circuitry of the human brain is formed by neuronal networks embedded into astroglial syncytia. The astrocytes perform numerous functions, providing for the overall brain homeostasis, assisting in neurogenesis, determining the micro-architecture of the grey matter, and defending the brain through evolutionary conserved astrogliosis programs.Astroglial cells are engaged in neurological diseases by determining the progression and outcome of neuropathological process. Astrocytes are specifically involved in various neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and various forms of dementia. Recent evidence suggest that early stages of neurodegenerative processes are associated with atrophy of astroglia, which causes disruptions in synaptic connectivity, disbalance in neurotransmitter homeostasis, and neuronal death through increased excitotoxicity. At the later stages, astrocytes become activated and contribute to the neuroinflammatory component of neurodegeneration.

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“…11,12 Astroglia rules over extracellular homeostasis in the brain through controlling interstitial concentration of neurotransmitters (and most importantly the naturally toxic, yet the most abundant neurotransmitter glutamate 13 ), ions (K þ buffering, 14 ) and regulating movements of water. 15 In addition, brain insults invariably trigger reactive astrogliosis, which reflects the ancient and conserved astroglial defence reaction. 16 The astrogliosis is fundamental for both limiting the areas of damage (by scar formation through anisomorphic astrogliosis) and for the postinsult remodelling and recovery of neural function (by isomorphic astrogliosis).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Glia: the fulcrum of brain diseases

et al. 2007

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Neuroglia represented by astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and microglial cells provide for numerous vital functions. Glial cells shape the micro-architecture of the brain matter; they are involved in information transfer by virtue of numerous plasmalemmal receptors and channels; they receive synaptic inputs; they are able to release 'glio'transmitters and produce long-range information exchange; finally they act as pluripotent neural precursors and some of them can even act as stem cells, which provide for adult neurogenesis. Recent advances in gliology emphasised the role of glia in the progression and handling of the insults to the nervous system. The brain pathology, is, to a very great extent, a pathology of glia, which, when falling to function properly, determines the degree of neuronal death, the outcome and the scale of neurological deficit. Glial cells are central in providing for brain homeostasis. As a result glia appears as a brain warden, and as such it is intrinsically endowed with two opposite features: it protects the nervous tissue as long as it can, but it also can rapidly assume the guise of a natural killer, trying to eliminate and seal the damaged area, to save the whole at the expense of the part. The sudden emergence of an intellect, and therefore a human being, which materialised only around a million years ago, remains the main mystery for our self-understanding. Similarly, we still do not know by which steps or transitions the human intellect emerged from the animal kingdom and where the fundamental difference between a man and an animal lies. According to the neuronal doctrine, which governs modern neuroscience since the beginning of the twentieth century, 1,2 the neurone is regarded as a basic information processing unit consisting of dendrites and axons with a unidirectional flow of information from the receiving dendrites via the integrating cell body to the terminal branches of the axon. Neuronal networks, connected through synaptic contacts, are generally considered as the substrate of our intellect.The number and size of neural cells increase with the size of the body and of the brain of mammals. This increasing quantity eventually has caused the generation of a new quality, the intellect. Rather amazingly, however, there is a relatively little difference in the morphology and physiology of neurones between humans and beasts; similarly the density of synaptic contacts in the brains of rodents and humans is more or less constant at around 1100-1300 millions/mm 3 . 3 On the contrary, evolution of the nervous system resulted in great changes in the second type of neural cells, the neuroglia. 4 Indeed, phylogenetic advance in brain complexity and capabilities coincided with a remarkable increase in the number of glial cells: in the rodent cortex the glial to neurone ratio is about 0.3 : 1, whereas in humans the same ratio is several times higher being B1.65:1, 5 while the total number of glial cells in the human brain is B10 (or even more) times larger than in lesser mammals. Astrocytes ...

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The neurobiology of glia in the context of water and ion homeostasis

Cited by 531 publications

References 230 publications

Morphological plasticity of astroglia: Understanding synaptic microenvironment

Morphological plasticity of astroglia: Understanding synaptic microenvironment

Astrocytes in Alzheimer's Disease

Glia: the fulcrum of brain diseases

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