SheikhBahaei, S;
Morris, B;
Collina, J;
Anjum, S;
Znati, S;
Gamarra, J;
Zhang, R;
... Smith, JC; + view all
(2018)
Morphometric analysis of astrocytes in brainstem respiratory regions.
Journal of Comparative Neurology
, 526
(13)
pp. 2032-2047.
10.1002/cne.24472.
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Abstract
Astrocytes, the most abundant and structurally complex glial cells of the central nervous system, are proposed to play an important role in modulating the activities of neuronal networks, including respiratory rhythm-generating circuits of the preBötzinger complex (preBötC) located in the ventrolateral medulla of the brainstem. However, structural properties of astrocytes residing within different brainstem regions are unknown. In this study astrocytes in the preBötC, an intermediate reticular formation (IRF) region with respiratory-related function, and a region of the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) in adult rats were reconstructed and their morphological features were compared. Detailed morphological analysis revealed that preBötC astrocytes are structurally more complex than those residing within the functionally distinct neighboring IRF region, or the NTS, located at the dorsal aspect of the medulla oblongata. Structural analyses of the brainstem microvasculature indicated no significant regional differences in vascular properties. We hypothesize that high morphological complexity of preBötC astrocytes reflects their functional role in providing structural/metabolic support and modulation of the key neuronal circuits essential for breathing, as well as constraints imposed by arrangements of associated neurons and/or other local structural features of the brainstem parenchyma.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Morphometric analysis of astrocytes in brainstem respiratory regions |
| Location: | United States |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1002/cne.24472 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.24472 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | © 2018 The Authors. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| Keywords: | astrocytes, brainstem, GFAP, glia, morphology, preBötzinger complex, RRID: AB_2079751, RRID: AB_296613, RRID: AB_10013382, RRID: AB_11213580, RRID: AB_10000240, RRID: SCR_001775 |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences > Div of Biosciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences > Div of Biosciences > Neuro, Physiology and Pharmacology |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10053228 |
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