Glial cells alterations

In the past few years an increasing set of evidence has converged on the major role of glial cells and alterations in their function in the pathway toward... 

Rajkowska G. Postmortem studies in mood disorders indicate altered numbers of neurons and glial cells. Biol Psychiatry 2000. 

Alterations in neurotransmitter uptake and metabolism in glial cells / Modification in the ratio and function of inhibitory circuits / Local neurotransmitter imbalances (e.g., glutamate, y-aminobutyric acid [GABA]), acetylcholine, norepinephrine, and serotonin)... 

Jumpsen J, Lien EL, Goh YK, Clandinin MT. 1997. Small changes of dietary (n-6) and (n-3)/fatty acid content ration alter phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine fatty acid composition during development of neuronal and glial cells in rats. J Nutr 127 724-731. 

Like spinal cord trauma, traumatic head injury consists of a primary injury, attributable to the mechanical insult itself, and a secondary injury, attributable to the series of systemic and local neurochemical changes that occur in brain after the initial traumatic insult (Klussmann and Martin-Villalba, 2005). The primary injury causes a rapid deformation of brain tissues, leading to rupture of neural cell membranes, release of intracellular contents, and disruption of blood flow and breakdown of the blood-brain barrier. In contrast, secondary injury to the brain tissue includes many neurochemical alterations such as release of cytokines, glial cell reactions involving both activated microglia and astroglia, and demyelination... 

The isolated cell preparation is an important system for the in vivo NMR spectro-scopist in terms of gaining a better understanding of the NMR spectra obtained in the intact animal. For example, H spectra of isolated neuronal and glial cells may help us to determine the contribution that these two cell types make to the H spectra of intact brain. The response of tumor cells to anoxia, ischemia, etc. may aid interpretation of the spectra obtained from similar cells in a solid tumor in an animal or human patient following certain clinical interventions, such as chemotherapy or alteration of tumor perfusion with vasoactive drugs. 

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