title: Astroglia, Glutamatergic Transmission and Psychiatric Diseases.
abstract: Astrocytes are primary homeostatic cells of the central nervous system. They regulate glutamatergic transmission through the removal of glutamate from the extracellular space and by supplying neurons with glutamine. Glutamatergic transmission is generally believed to be significantly impaired in the contexts of all major neuropsychiatric diseases. In most of these neuropsychiatric diseases, astrocytes show signs of degeneration and atrophy, which is likely to be translated into reduced homeostatic capabilities. Astroglial glutamate uptake/release and glutamate homeostasis are affected in all forms of major psychiatric disorders and represent a common mechanism underlying neurotransmission disbalance, aberrant connectome and overall failure on information processing by neuronal networks, which underlie pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric diseases.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Life Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK. Alexej.Verkhratsky@manchester.ac.uk.|Achucarro Center for Neuroscience, IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, 48011, Spain. Alexej.Verkhratsky@manchester.ac.uk.|Department of Neurosciences, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, 48940, Spain. Alexej.Verkhratsky@manchester.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Alexei
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Verkhratsky
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Naples SUN, Largo Madonna delle Grazie, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Steardo
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Metabolic Brain Diseases, Institute of Metabolic Disease Research and Drug Development, China Medical University, Shenyang, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Center for Glial Biology in Medicine, Atomic Force Microscopy & Nanotechnology Laboratories, Civitan International Research Center, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA.
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Parpura
mesh_terms: D001253:Astrocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D005973:Glutamine / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D005973:Glutamine; D018698:Glutamic Acid
keywords: Astrocyte; Glutamate synthesis; Glutamatergic transmission; Major depression; Neuropathology; Neurotransmitter receptors; Psychiatric diseases; Schizophrenia