中国神经再生研究(英文版) ›› 2019, Vol. 14 ›› Issue (4): 595-596.doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.247462

• 观点:脑损伤修复保护与再生 • 上一篇    下一篇

星形胶质细胞合胞体:大脑中的功能性网状系统

  

  • 出版日期:2019-04-15 发布日期:2019-04-15

Astrocyte syncytium: a functional reticular system in the brain

Conrad M. Kiyoshi, Min Zhou   

  1. Department of Neuroscience, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
  • Online:2019-04-15 Published:2019-04-15
  • Contact: Min Zhou, MD, PhD, zhou.787@osu.edu.
  • Supported by:

    This work was sponsored by grants from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke RO1NS062784, R56NS097972.

摘要:

orcid: 0000-0001-6249-2977 (Min Zhou)

Abstract:

In contrary to the discrete neuronal circuits, astrocytes share their cytoplasm through gap junctional coupling into a syncytium. This distinctive difference in neuronal and astrocytic anatomy recalls the historical debate between Camillo Golgi and Ramón y Cajal on the wiring principle of the nervous system over a century ago. At that neuron-centric era, the Cajal advocated the cell theory that considered the nervous system to be made up of discrete individual cells. Golgi on the other hand favored the reticular theory that viewed the nervous system as a singular continuing network system. Nevertheless, regardless of the difference in their viewpoints, both theories were intended to postulate an anatomical blueprint of neural circuitry, with no attention given to neuroglia. It was until the 1950s, the distinct membrane bordersbetween synapses were revealed by electron microscopy, which means that neurons are indeed discrete individual cells. This declared Ramón y Cajal’s cell theory the victor in the debate, while Golgi’s reticular theory was disregarded. However, the existence of a “low-resistance pathway” between neuroglia was soon identified in the optic nerve in the 1960s, which we now know to be gap junction coupling that connects the cytoplasm of astrocyter into a syncytial network. Ever since, decades of studies clearly demonstrated that syncytial coupling into the network is a most prominent feature of astrocytes and these glial networks are intimately interwoven with the neuronal circuits running across the entire central nervous system. Surprisingly, the question of whether a reticular system exists in parallel with the neuronal circuits has received a little research attention to this day. Interestingly, the wiring pattern of astrocyte syncytium is reminiscent of the reticular theory postulated by Golgi. In this perspective, the “revived” use of “reticular theory” is solely dedicated to the brain reticular system established by astrocytes.

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