objective: astrocytes are the most abundant glial cell type. they may promote or inhibit cns inflammation depending on which cytokines are secreted. astrocytes also have immune roles. il-19, il-20, and il-24 activate a heterodimer receptor composed of the il-20r1 α-chain and the il-20r2 β-chain. it has long been considered that signaling by these receptor complexes affects immunological reactio...

Purpose: The effect of a highly selective 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced lesion of the nigrostriatal system on the astroglial and microglial activation was analysed in adult Wistar rats after an unilateral striatal injection of the neurotoxin. Methods: Male rats received an unilateral stereotaxical injection of the 6-OHDA in the left side of the neostriatum and were sacrificed 22 days later...

Astrocytes express dopamine receptors and respond to dopamine stimulation. However, the role of astrocytes in psychiatric disorders and the effects of antipsychotics on astroglial cells have only been investigated recently. S100B is a glial-derived protein, commonly used as a marker of astroglial activation in psychiatric disorders, particularly schizophrenia. We investigated S100B secretion in...

In response to injuries to the CNS, astrocytes enter a reactive state known as astrogliosis, which is believed to be deleterious in some contexts. Activated astrocytes overexpress intermediate filaments including glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and vimentin (Vim), resulting in entangled cells that inhibit neurite growth and functional recovery. Reactive astrocytes also secrete inflammato...

Primary rat astrocyte cultures were used to isolate a macrophage population that does not adhere to the confluent glial cells. The cells multiplied vigorously in coculture with astrocytes during the 14 d culture period, provided that functionally active lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was either absent or present in very low concentrations. Based on morphological, immunocytochemical, and pharmacologic...

Rett syndrome (RTT) is a neurodevelopmetal disorder associated with mutations in the methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) gene. MeCP2-deficient mice recapitulate the neurological degeneration observed in RTT patients. Recent studies indicated a role of not only neurons but also glial cells in neuronal dysfunction in RTT. We cultured astrocytes from MeCP2-null mouse brain and examined astroglial...

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are chaperones induced under pathological conditions and involved in protein stabilization and cellular protection. In this study, we have evaluated the expression pattern of the glial cell-related HSP27, HSP32, and HSP47 following an excitotoxic lesion in the immature rat brain. Postnatal day 9 rats received an intracortical injection of N-methyl-D-aspartate and tiss...

INTRODUCTION: In vivo experiments conducted by infusing C labeled substrates (glucose and acetate) together with C NMR spectroscopy have given important insight for the neuronal and astroglial metabolism. These studies have established that neurotransmitter cycle is stoichiometrically coupled to the neuronal glucose oxidation indicating neurotransmitter energetics is supported by oxidative gluc...