acase@tulane.edu / Astrocytes are the most numerous nonneuronal cell-type within the brain. These glial cells support activities essential for neuronal function, regulating extracellular concentrations of ions and neurotransmitters, providing metabolic substrates, and maintaining the blood-brain barrier. In addition, astrocytes respond to central nervous system (CNS) disease by becoming reactive, a nonspecific but highly characteristic response that involves various molecular and morphological changes. Quantifiable changes in astrocyte activation and remodeling have been documented in chronic stress, neurodegenerative disease, mood disorders, and CNS infections. However, whether astrocytes remodel in the same way and whether all insults produce the same effect is largely unknown. Here, studies examine astrocyte morphology and immune activation in nonhuman primates across a wide range of CNS diseases including bacterial and viral infection, and self-injurious behaviors.
Paraffin-embedded tissue was selected from the Tulane National Primate Research Center archives, and immunofluorescence with TLR2 and GFAP was used to examine immune activation of astrocytes in cortical tissue. In addition, reconstruction of astrocyte morphology using Neurolucida software revealed specific remodeling patterns for each CNS disease state. While immune activation through Toll-like receptor and GFAP expression generally increased in pathological states, specific astrocyte remodeling patterns were observed relative to pathology indicating that astrocyte response to CNS disease is dependent upon cortical location and pathological state. / 1 / Kim Lee
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:TULANE/oai:http://digitallibrary.tulane.edu/:tulane_75501 |
| Date | January 2017 |
| Contributors | Lee, Kim (author), MacLean, Andrew (Thesis advisor), School of Medicine Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program (Degree granting institution) |
| Publisher | Tulane University School of Medicine |
| Source Sets | Tulane University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | electronic, 226 |
| Rights | No embargo, Copyright is in accordance with U.S. Copyright law. |
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