Pericytes in Brain Injury and Repair After Ischemic Stroke

Pericytes are functional components of the neurovascular unit (NVU). They provide support to other NVU components and maintain normal physiological functions of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The brain ischemia and reperfusion result in pathological alterations in pericytes. The intimate anatomical...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Translational stroke research 2017-04, Vol.8 (2), p.107-121
Main Authors: Cai, Wei, Liu, Huan, Zhao, Jingyan, Chen, Lily Y., Chen, Jun, Lu, Zhengqi, Hu, Xiaoming
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Astrocytes - physiology
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Biomedicine
Blood vessels
Blood-brain barrier
Blood-Brain Barrier - physiopathology
Brain - blood supply
Brain - physiopathology
Brain Injuries - physiopathology
Brain Ischemia - physiopathology
Cardiology
Cell Differentiation
Epithelial Cells - physiology
Humans
Immunology
Ischemia
Morphology
Neovascularization, Pathologic - physiopathology
Nervous system
Neurology
Neurons - physiology
Neurosciences
Neurosurgery
Pericytes - physiology
Phagocytosis
Physiology
Protein expression
Proteins
Reperfusion Injury - physiopathology
Review
Roles
Smooth muscle
Stroke - physiopathology
Traumatic brain injury
Vascular Surgery
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Summary:Pericytes are functional components of the neurovascular unit (NVU). They provide support to other NVU components and maintain normal physiological functions of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The brain ischemia and reperfusion result in pathological alterations in pericytes. The intimate anatomical and functional interactions between pericytes and other NVU components play pivotal roles in the progression of stroke pathology. In this review, we depict the biology and functions of pericytes in the normal brain and discuss their effects in brain injury and repair after ischemia/reperfusion. Since ischemic stroke occurs mostly in elderly people, we also review age-related changes in pericytes and how these changes predispose aged brains to ischemic/reperfusion injury. Strategies targeting pericyte responses after ischemia and reperfusion may provide new therapies for ischemic stroke.
ISSN:1868-4483
1868-601X
DOI:10.1007/s12975-016-0504-4