Are astrocytes executive cells within the central nervous system?

Roberto E. Sica; Roberto Caccuri; Cecilia Quarracino; Francisco Capani

doi:10.1590/0004-282X20160101

Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria, Table of Contents

CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Arq Neuropsiquiatr 2016; 74(08): 671-678
DOI: 10.1590/0004-282X20160101

VIEWS AND REVIEWS

Are astrocytes executive cells within the central nervous system?

¿Son los astrocitos células ejecutivas dentro del Sistema Nervioso Central?

Roberto E. Sica

¹Universidad de Buenos Aires, Escuela de Medicina, Instituto de Investigaciones Cardiológicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

,

Roberto Caccuri

¹Universidad de Buenos Aires, Escuela de Medicina, Instituto de Investigaciones Cardiológicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

,

Cecilia Quarracino

¹Universidad de Buenos Aires, Escuela de Medicina, Instituto de Investigaciones Cardiológicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

,

Francisco Capani

¹Universidad de Buenos Aires, Escuela de Medicina, Instituto de Investigaciones Cardiológicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

› Author Affiliations

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Experimental evidence suggests that astrocytes play a crucial role in the physiology of the central nervous system (CNS) by modulating synaptic activity and plasticity. Based on what is currently known we postulate that astrocytes are fundamental, along with neurons, for the information processing that takes place within the CNS. On the other hand, experimental findings and human observations signal that some of the primary degenerative diseases of the CNS, like frontotemporal dementia, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s dementia, Huntington’s dementia, primary cerebellar ataxias and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, all of which affect the human species exclusively, may be due to astroglial dysfunction. This hypothesis is supported by observations that demonstrated that the killing of neurons by non-neural cells plays a major role in the pathogenesis of those diseases, at both their onset and their progression. Furthermore, recent findings suggest that astrocytes might be involved in the pathogenesis of some psychiatric disorders as well.

RESUMEN

Evidencias experimentales sugieren que los astrocitos desempeñan un rol crucial en la fisiología del sistema nervioso central (SNC) modulando la actividad y plasticidad sináptica. En base a lo actualmente conocido creemos que los astrocitos participan, en pie de igualdad con las neuronas, en los procesos de información del SNC. Además, observaciones experimentales y humanas encontraron que algunas de las enfermedades degenerativas primarias del SNC: la demencia fronto-temporal; las enfermedades de Parkinson, de Alzheimer, y de Huntington, las ataxias cerebelosas primarias y la esclerosis lateral amiotrófica, que afectan solo a los humanos, pueden deberse a astroglíopatía. Esta hipótesis se sustenta en hallazgos que demostraron que la muerte neuronal que en ellas ocurre es debida al compromiso de células no-neuronales que juegan rol principal en su iniciación y desarrollo. Más aún, observaciones recientes señalan que los astrocitos podrían estar implicados en la patogenia de algunas enfermedades psiquiátricas.

astrocytes - physiology - central nervous system - neurodegenerative diseases

astrocitos - fisiología - sistema nervioso central - enfermedades neurodegenerativas

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References

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