2017年11月28日, 國際著名學術雜誌《Cell》子刊《Cell Reports》雜誌線上發表了中國科學院深圳先進技術研究院腦認知與腦疾病研究所王立平團隊和香港城市大學李嬰團隊合作的一篇研究論文, 論文報導了大腦膠質細胞對疼痛導致的決策認知障礙調控機制。
決策是大腦最基本的認知功能之一, 很多腦疾病會導致決策認知功能障礙。 臨床上已經發現很多慢性疾病, 如慢性疼痛等會嚴重損傷大腦的這一功能。 因此, 找到慢性疼痛導致決策能力障礙的神經細胞和分子靶點, 神經科學研究者的焦點所在。 神經膠質細胞,
王立平團隊和李嬰團隊利用光遺傳技術、動物行為學結合活體電生理技術等方法, 發現:慢性痛大鼠模型中的動物決策認知功能顯著下降, 其內在神經環路機制在於外側杏仁核(BLA)-前扣帶回(ACC)的神經活動的同步性顯著降低;光遺傳特異性刺激ACC腦區的星形膠質細胞, 可以有效提高局部微環路中的乳酸(L-Lactate)的濃度, 進而增強上述兩個腦區之間的同步性,
光遺傳特異性啟動慢性痛大鼠ACC區域中的膠質細胞釋放乳酸,
原文連結:
原文摘要:
Human brain imaging studies have revealed the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) as a key brain region for mediating visceral-pain-cognitive interactions. Recently, we characterized impairments of long-term potentiation and spike-field coherence in the basolateral amygdala (BLA)-ACC network in association with a decision-making deficit in rats with visceral hypersensitivity (VH). Now, by combining integrative neurobiological approaches, we show that ACC-reactive astrogliosis and activity-dependent impairment of lactate release occur in VH rats. Exogenous lactate supply rescues chronic-visceral-pain-caused impairments of ACC phase locking and decision making, which can be mimicked by optogenetic activation of ACC astrocytes. Large-scale electrophysiological recordings in free-moving animals during a decision-making task indicate that optogenetic astrocytic activation improves decision-making performance and engages ACC phase locking and BLA-to-ACC information flow. Collectively, these observations support the idea of an “astrocyte-neuron l-lactate shuttle” and suggest that targeting astrocytes may help with cognitive dysfunctions under chronic visceral pain.