The FASEB Journal, Vol 7, 1226-1232, Copyright © 1993 by The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology

REVIEWS

Astrocytes in infectious and immune-mediated diseases of the central nervous system

L Mucke and M Eddleston
Department of Neuropharmacology, Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037.

The central nervous system (CNS) can be invaded and damaged by a variety of microbes. The host response to such injury involves CNS cells, and in many cases hematogenous cells also. Recent experiments indicate that astrocytes, macroglial resident cells of the CNS, play key roles in this process. The astroglial production of trophic factors and elimination of neurotoxins are likely to fulfill important protective and reparative functions during CNS infection. In addition, astrocytes could, in concert with microglial cells, regulate the recruitment and activity of infiltrating hematogenous cells through their expression of cytokines, proteases, protease inhibitors, adhesion molecules, and extracellular matrix components. Although previous experiments suggested that astrocytes might initiate inflammatory demyelinating disease by presenting CNS antigens to autoreactive immune cells, current evidence points against such a detrimental activity. In view of the generally beneficial role of astrocytes, impairments of astroglial function by microbes or host-derived factors have the potential to contribute to neurologic disease. Diseases in which this pathogenetic process may be relevant include HIV-1-associated cognitive/motor complex and spongiform encephalopathies.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Horiuchi, A. Itoh, D. Pleasure, and T. Itoh MEK-ERK Signaling Is Involved in Interferon-{gamma}-induced Death of Oligodendroglial Progenitor Cells J. Biol. Chem., July 21, 2006; 281(29): 20095 - 20106. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Pannu, A. K. Singh, and I. Singh A Novel Role of Lactosylceramide in the Regulation of Tumor Necrosis Factor {alpha}-mediated Proliferation of Rat Primary Astrocytes: IMPLICATIONS FOR ASTROGLIOSIS FOLLOWING NEUROTRAUMA J. Biol. Chem., April 8, 2005; 280(14): 13742 - 13751. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C.-J. Chen, J.-H. Chen, S.-Y. Chen, S.-L. Liao, and S.-L. Raung Upregulation of RANTES Gene Expression in Neuroglia by Japanese Encephalitis Virus Infection J. Virol., November 15, 2004; 78(22): 12107 - 12119. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G B T von Boyen, M Steinkamp, M Reinshagen, K-H Schafer, G Adler, and J Kirsch Proinflammatory cytokines increase glial fibrillary acidic protein expression in enteric glia Gut, February 1, 2004; 53(2): 222 - 228. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P.-Y. Dietrich, P. R. Walker, and P. Saas Death receptors on reactive astrocytes: A key role in the fine tuning of brain inflammation? Neurology, February 25, 2003; 60(4): 548 - 554. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. R. Bhat, D. L. Feinstein, Q. Shen, and A. N. Bhat p38 MAPK-mediated Transcriptional Activation of Inducible Nitric-oxide Synthase in Glial Cells. ROLES OF NUCLEAR FACTORS, NUCLEAR FACTOR kappa B, cAMP RESPONSE ELEMENT-BINDING PROTEIN, CCAAT/ENHANCER-BINDING PROTEIN-beta , AND ACTIVATING TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR-2 J. Biol. Chem., August 9, 2002; 277(33): 29584 - 29592. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Myerowitz, D. Lawson, H. Mizukami, Y. Mi, C. J. Tifft, and R. L. Proia Molecular pathophysiology in Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff diseases as revealed by gene expression profiling Hum. Mol. Genet., May 16, 2002; 11(11): 1343 - 1351. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Ruhl, S. Franzke, S. M. Collins, and W. Stremmel Interleukin-6 expression and regulation in rat enteric glial cells Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol, June 1, 2001; 280(6): G1163 - G1171. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J.-N. Billaud, C. Ly, T. R. Phillips, and J. C. de la Torre Borna Disease Virus Persistence Causes Inhibition of Glutamate Uptake by Feline Primary Cortical Astrocytes J. Virol., November 15, 2000; 74(22): 10438 - 10446. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				I. M. Medana, T. Chan-Ling, and N. H. Hunt Reactive Changes of Retinal Microglia during Fatal Murine Cerebral Malaria : Effects of Dexamethasone and Experimental Permeabilization of the Blood-Brain Barrier Am. J. Pathol., March 1, 2000; 156(3): 1055 - 1065. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. W. Powell, R. C. Mifflin, J. D. Valentich, S. E. Crowe, J. I. Saada, and A. B. West Myofibroblasts. I. Paracrine cells important in health and disease Am J Physiol Cell Physiol, July 1, 1999; 277(1): C1 - C19. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. R. Bhat, P. Zhang, J. C. Lee, and E. L. Hogan Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase and p38 Subgroups of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases Regulate Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase and Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha Gene Expression in Endotoxin-Stimulated Primary Glial Cultures J. Neurosci., March 1, 1998; 18(5): 1633 - 1641. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Tanabe, M. Heesen, M. A. Berman, M. B. Fischer, I. Yoshizawa, Y. Luo, and M. E. Dorf Murine Astrocytes Express a Functional Chemokine Receptor J. Neurosci., September 1, 1997; 17(17): 6522 - 6528. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Murphy and D. Grzybicki {blacksquare} REVIEW : Glial NO: Normal and Pathological Roles Neuroscientist, March 1, 1996; 2(2): 90 - 99. [Abstract] [PDF]