Astrocyte Changes in the Prefrontal Cortex From Aged Non-suicidal Depressed Patients
Xin-Rui Qi1, Willem Kamphuis2, Ling Shan2
1Center for Translational Neurodegeneration and Regenerative Therapy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience
|December 5, 2019
Summary
Astrocytes in the brain
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cell Biology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Glial cell alterations in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) are implicated in psychiatric disorders.
- Astrocytes, the most abundant glial cells, play crucial roles in central nervous system function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the involvement of astrocytes in depression by examining astrocyte marker expression.
- To compare astrocyte markers in the ACC and DLPFC of individuals with bipolar disorder (BPD), major depressive disorder (MDD), and matched controls.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of astrocyte marker mRNA and protein expression (GFAP, synemin-α, synemin-β, vimentin, nestin) in postmortem ACC and DLPFC gray matter.
- Immunohistochemistry was used to quantify GFAP immunoreactivity, cell density, and integrated optical density.
Main Results:
- Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) mRNA levels were elevated in the ACC of BPD patients.
- GFAP immunohistochemistry revealed decreased GFAP-immunoreactive astrocyte area fraction in the ACC of BPD patients, suggesting astrocyte network remodeling.
- A diurnal pattern in DLPFC GFAP mRNA levels observed in controls was absent in depressed subjects.
Conclusions:
- Findings suggest astrocyte network alterations in the ACC of bipolar disorder patients.
- The absence of a diurnal pattern in depressed individuals indicates potential disruptions in circadian regulation of astrocytes.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the role of astrocytes in the pathophysiology of depression and bipolar disorder.
