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Yang MF, Ren DX, Pan X, Li CX, Xu SY. The Role of Astrocytes in Migraine with Cortical Spreading Depression: Protagonists or Bystanders? A Narrative Review. Pain Ther 2024:10.1007/s40122-024-00610-9. [PMID: 38743247 DOI: 10.1007/s40122-024-00610-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Cortical spreading depression (CSD) is a slow wave of cortical depolarization closely associated with migraines with an aura. Previously, it was thought that CSD depolarization was mainly driven by neurons, with characteristic changes in neuronal swelling and increased extracellular potassium (K+) and glutamate. However, the role of astrocytes, a member of the neurovascular unit, in migraine with CSD has recently received increasing attention. In the early stages of CSD, astrocytes provide neurons with energy support and clear K+ and glutamate from synaptic gaps. However, in the late stages of CSD, astrocytes release large amounts of lactic acid to exacerbate hypoxia when the energy demand exceeds the astrocytes' compensatory capacity. Astrocyte endfoot swelling is a characteristic of CSD, and neurons are not similarly altered. It is primarily due to K+ influx and abnormally active calcium (Ca2+) signaling. Aquaporin 4 (AQP-4) only mediates K+ influx and has little role as an aquaporin. Astrocytes endfoot swelling causes perivascular space closure, slowing the glymphatic system flow and exacerbating neuroinflammation, leading to persistent CSD. Astrocytes are double-edged swords in migraine with CSD and may be potential targets for CSD interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Fan Yang
- Department of Neurology, Headache Center, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Jiefangnan 85 Road, Taiyuan,, 030001, Shanxi, China
| | - Dong-Xue Ren
- Department of Neurology, Headache Center, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Jiefangnan 85 Road, Taiyuan,, 030001, Shanxi, China
| | - Xue Pan
- Department of Neurology, Headache Center, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Jiefangnan 85 Road, Taiyuan,, 030001, Shanxi, China
| | - Chang-Xin Li
- Department of Neurology, Headache Center, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Jiefangnan 85 Road, Taiyuan,, 030001, Shanxi, China
| | - Sui-Yi Xu
- Department of Neurology, Headache Center, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Jiefangnan 85 Road, Taiyuan,, 030001, Shanxi, China.
- Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Center for Cerebrovascular Diseases Research, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China.
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Adrenergic inhibition facilitates normalization of extracellular potassium after cortical spreading depolarization. Sci Rep 2021; 11:8150. [PMID: 33854148 PMCID: PMC8047013 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-87609-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Cortical spreading depolarization (CSD) is a propagating wave of tissue depolarization characterized by a large increase of extracellular potassium concentration and prolonged subsequent electrical silencing of neurons. Waves of CSD arise spontaneously in various acute neurological settings, including migraine aura and ischemic stroke. Recently, we have reported that pan-inhibition of adrenergic receptors (AdRs) facilitates the normalization of extracellular potassium after acute photothrombotic stroke in mice. Here, we have extended that mechanistic study to ask whether AdR antagonists also modify the dynamics of KCl-induced CSD and post-CSD recovery in vivo. Spontaneous neural activity and KCl-induced CSD were visualized by cortex-wide transcranial Ca2+ imaging in G-CaMP7 transgenic mice. AdR antagonism decreased the recurrence of CSD waves and accelerated the post-CSD recovery of neural activity. Two-photon imaging revealed that astrocytes exhibited aberrant Ca2+ signaling after passage of the CSD wave. This astrocytic Ca2+ activity was diminished by the AdR antagonists. Furthermore, AdR pan-antagonism facilitated the normalization of the extracellular potassium level after CSD, which paralleled the recovery of neural activity. These observations add support to the proposal that neuroprotective effects of AdR pan-antagonism arise from accelerated normalization of extracellular K+ levels in the setting of acute brain injury.
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