The Important Double-Edged Role of Astrocytes in Neurovascular Unit After Ischemic Stroke

Guangyuan Han; Lijuan Song; Zhibin Ding; Qing Wang; Yuqing Yan; Jianjun Huang; Cungen Ma

doi:10.3389/fnagi.2022.833431

The Important Double-Edged Role of Astrocytes in Neurovascular Unit After Ischemic Stroke

Front Aging Neurosci. 2022 Apr 7:14:833431. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.833431. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Guangyuan Han^{1

2}, Lijuan Song^{1

3}, Zhibin Ding^{1

3}, Qing Wang¹, Yuqing Yan^{1

4}, Jianjun Huang^{1

2}, Cungen Ma^{1

4}

Affiliations

¹ The Key Research Laboratory of Benefiting Qi for Acting Blood Circulation Method to Treat Multiple Sclerosis of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Research Center of Neurobiology, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Jinzhong, China.
² Department of Neurosurgery, Sinopharm Tongmei General Hospital, Datong, China.
³ Department of Physiology, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China.
⁴ Shanxi Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Neurodegenerative Diseases, Institute of Brain Science, Shanxi Datong University, Datong, China.

Abstract

In recent years, neurovascular unit (NVU) which is composed of neurons, astrocytes (Ast), microglia (MG), vascular cells and extracellular matrix (ECM), has become an attractive field in ischemic stroke. As the important component of NVU, Ast closely interacts with other constituents, which has been playing double-edged sword roles, beneficial or detrimental after ischemic stroke. Based on the pathophysiological changes, we evaluated some strategies for targeting Ast in treating ischemic stroke. The present review is focused on the roles of Ast in NVU and its complex signaling molecular network after ischemic stroke, which may be a prospective approach to the treatment of ischemic diseases in central nervous system.

Keywords: BBB; astrocytes; double-edged role; ischemic stroke; neurovascular units.

Publication types

Review