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General Pathophysiology of Neuroglia: Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders as Gliopathies

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Pathological Potential of Neuroglia

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Abstract

Astrocytes are responsible for the structural organization of the neural tissue, for neurogenesis and development of the central nervous system, for generation and maintenance of the blood- and cerebrospinal fluid-brain barriers, for homeostatic maintenance of neurotransmitters and ions, for synaptogenesis and metabolic support, for scavenging of reactive oxygen species and for regulation of local blood flow. Oligodendrocytes provide for the maintenance of interneuronal connectivity. Microglial cells exert multiple trophic effects and are actively involved in shaping the synaptic connections by removing silent or redundant synapses. NG2 cells receive synaptic inputs which might be fundamental for life-long control over myelinating capabilities of the brain tissue. In the periphery, satellite glia, enteric glia and olfactory ensheathing cells oversee various homeostatic functions, whereas Schwann cells support nerve impulse propagation. Homeostatic functions of neuroglia also extend to forming the defense of the nervous system. Every insult to the nerve tissue triggers glial homeostatic response and initiates specific glial defensive reaction. The homeostatic response is primarily neuroprotective. Neurological and psychiatric disorders are, conceptually, failures of such homeostatic responses in which neuroglia display a suboptimal function. Thus, neuroglia are ultimately involved in pathogenesis of many (if not all) brain disorders.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Manoj K. Gottipati for comments on a previous version of the manuscript. Authors’ research was supported by Alzheimer’s Research Trust (UK) Programme Grant (ART/PG2004A/1) to A.V. and by the National Institutes of Health (The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development award HD078678) to V.P.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Life Sciences, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, M13 9PT, Manchester, UK

    Alexei Verkhratsky

  2. Achucarro Center for Neuroscience, Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, 48011, Bilbao, Spain

    Alexei Verkhratsky

  3. Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1719 6th Avenue South, CIRC 429, 35294, Birmingham, AL, USA

    Vladimir Parpura

  4. Department of Biotechnology, University of Rijeka, Radmile Matejčić 2, 51000, Rijeka, Croatia

    Vladimir Parpura

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  1. Alexei Verkhratsky
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Correspondence to Alexei Verkhratsky .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA

    Vladimir Parpura

  2. Faculty of Life Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom

    Alexei Verkhratsky

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Verkhratsky, A., Parpura, V. (2014). General Pathophysiology of Neuroglia: Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders as Gliopathies. In: Parpura, V., Verkhratsky, A. (eds) Pathological Potential of Neuroglia. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0974-2_1

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