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Updated: Jan 16, 2026

Location, Dissection, and Analysis of the Murine Stellate Ganglion
Published on: December 22, 2020
Targeting sympathetic glia for treating cardiovascular diseases
Alison Xiaoqiao Xie1, Angelo I Chaia2, Ken D McCarthy1
1Department of Pharmacology, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7365 USA.
Abstract:
Gq G protein-coupled receptor (Gq-GPCR) signaling in glial fibrillary acidic protein-expressing (GFAP+) glia is essential for neuron-glia interaction in the Central Nervous System (CNS). However, the exploration of the roles of Gq-GPCR signaling in peripheral GFAP+ glia has just begun. Our recent study showed that GFAP+ glia in the sympathetic ganglia, namely satellite glial cells (SGCs), positively modulate sympathetic-regulated cardiac functions following their Gq-GPCR activation. In this research highlight, we discuss the significance of satellite glial modulation of sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) in both physiology and in diseases. We also present a new experimental strategy for manipulating satellite glial signaling in the sympathetic ganglia using adeno-associated virus (AAV). The success of targeted viral transduction in ganglionic SGCs suggest a strong therapeutic potential of targeting sympathetic glia for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).
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