Selective overexpression of excitatory amino acid transporter 2 (EAAT2) in astrocytes enhances neuroprotection from moderate but not severe hypoxia-ischemia

Glia as transmitter sources and sensors in health and disease

Glial cells express a bewildering array of neurotransmitter receptors. To illustrate the complexity of expression, we have assayed non-glutamatergic neurotransmitter receptor mRNA in isolated rat optic nerve, a preparation devoid of neurons and neuronal synapses and from which relatively pure "glial" RNA can be isolated. Of the 44 receptor subunits examined which span the GABA-A, nicotinic, adreno- and glycine receptor families, over three quarters were robustly expressed in this mixed population of white matter glial cells, with several expressed at higher levels than found in control whole brain RNA. In addition to the complexity of glial receptor expression, numerous neurotransmitter release mechanisms have been identified. We have focused on glutamate release from astrocytes, which can occur via at least seven distinct pathways and which is implicated in excitotoxic injury and are neurons and glia. Recent findings suggest that non-glutamatergic receptors can also mediate acute glial injury are also discussed.

Roles of astrocytes and microglia in seizure-induced aberrant neurogenesis in the hippocampus of adult rats

Recent evidence showed that epileptic seizures increase hippocampal neurogenesis in the adult rat, but prolonged seizures result in the aberrant hippocampal neurogenesis that often leads to a recurrent excitatory circuitry and thus contributes to epileptogenesis. However, the mechanism underlying the aberrant neurogenesis after prolonged seizures remains largely unclear. In this study, we examined the role of activated astrocytes and microglia in the aberrant hippocampal neurogenesis induced by status epilepticus. Using a lithium-pilocarpine model to mimic human temporal lobe epilepsy, we found that status epilepticus induced a prominent activation of astrocytes and microglia in the dentate gyrus 3, 7, 14, and 20 days after the initial seizures. Then, we injected fluorocitrate stereotaxicly into the dentate hilus to inhibit astrocytic metabolism and found that fluorocitrate failed to prevent the seizure-induced formation of ectopic hilar basal dendrites but instead promoted the degeneration of dentate granule cells after seizures. In contrast, a selective inhibitor of microglia activation, minocycline, inhibited the aberrant migration of newborn neurons at 14 days after status epilepticus. Furthermore, with stereotaxic injection of lipopolysaccharide into the intact dentate hilus to activate local microglia, we found that lipopolysaccharide promoted the development of ectopic hilar basal dendrites in the hippocampus. These results indicate that the activated microglia in the epileptic hilus may guide the aberrant migration of newborn neurons and that minocycline could be a potential drug to impede seizure-induced aberrant migration of newborn neurons.

Preconditioning and tolerance against cerebral ischaemia: from experimental strategies to clinical use

Neuroprotection and brain repair in patients after acute brain damage are still major unfulfilled medical needs. Pharmacological treatments are either ineffective or confounded by adverse effects. Consequently, endogenous mechanisms by which the brain protects itself against noxious stimuli and recovers from damage are being studied. Research on preconditioning, also known as induced tolerance, over the past decade has resulted in various promising strategies for the treatment of patients with acute brain injury. Several of these strategies are being tested in randomised clinical trials. Additionally, research into preconditioning has led to the idea of prophylactically inducing protection in patients such as those undergoing brain surgery and those with transient ischaemic attack or subarachnoid haemorrhage who are at high risk of brain injury in the near future. In this Review, we focus on the clinical issues relating to preconditioning and tolerance in the brain; specifically, we discuss the clinical situations that might benefit from such procedures. We also discuss whether preconditioning and tolerance occur naturally in the brain and assess the most promising candidate strategies that are being investigated.