Role of astrocytes in epilepsy

Astrocytes express ion channels, transmitter receptors, and transporters and, thus, are endowed with the machinery to sense and respond to neuronal activity. Recent studies have implicated that astrocytes play important roles in physiology, but these cells also emerge as crucial actors in epilepsy....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in medicine 2015-03, Vol.5 (3), p.a022434-a022434
Main Authors: Coulter, Douglas A, Steinhäuser, Christian
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Aquaporin 4 - genetics
Astrocytes - physiology
Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe - genetics
Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe - physiopathology
Gap Junctions - physiology
Glutamic Acid - metabolism
Homeostasis
Humans
Potassium Channels - metabolism
Synaptic Transmission
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Summary:Astrocytes express ion channels, transmitter receptors, and transporters and, thus, are endowed with the machinery to sense and respond to neuronal activity. Recent studies have implicated that astrocytes play important roles in physiology, but these cells also emerge as crucial actors in epilepsy. Astrocytes are abundantly coupled through gap junctions allowing them to redistribute elevated K(+) and transmitter concentrations from sites of enhanced neuronal activity. Investigation of specimens from patients with pharmacoresistant temporal lobe epilepsy and epilepsy models revealed alterations in expression, localization, and function of astroglial K(+) and water channels. In addition, malfunction of glutamate transporters and the astrocytic glutamate-converting enzyme, glutamine synthetase, has been observed in epileptic tissue. These findings suggest that dysfunctional astrocytes are crucial players in epilepsy and should be considered as promising targets for new therapeutic strategies.
ISSN:2157-1422
2472-5412
DOI:10.1101/cshperspect.a022434