Abstract
Astrocytes, one of the principal glial cells, surround and interact with neurites, synapses and brain vessels, and maintain brain environment. Reactive astrocytes in the pathological brain such as ischemia contribute tissue repair though expression of various membrane proteins and oxidative stress-related molecules. Disease-specific primary changes in astrocytes have been reported in the several neurological disorders such as clasmatodendrosis in acute encephalopathy, Alzheimer type II glia in hepatocerebral syndrome, astrocytic plaque and tuft-shaped astrocyte in tauopathies, and Rosenthal fibers in Alexander disease. Moreover, apoptotic changes in astrocytes are revealed in ischemia-reperfusion injury and neurodegeneration diseases. These primary pathological changes and cell death in astrocytes may cause neuronal dysfunction. Therefore an investigation for astrocytes is important for clarifying the pathology of neurological disorders.
