Role of Astrocytes in Manganese Neurotoxicity Revisited

Tao Ke, Marta Sidoryk-Wegrzynowicz, Edward Pajarillo, Asha Rizor, Félix Alexandre Antunes Soares, Eunsook Lee, Michael Aschner

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

22 Scopus citations

Abstract

Manganese (Mn) overexposure is a public health concern due to its widespread industrial usage and the risk for environmental contamination. The clinical symptoms of Mn neurotoxicity, or manganism, share several pathological features of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Biologically, Mn is an essential trace element, and Mn in the brain is preferentially localized in astrocytes. This review summarizes the role of astrocytes in Mn-induced neurotoxicity, specifically on the role of neurotransmitter recycling, neuroinflammation, and genetics. Mn overexposure can dysregulate astrocytic cycling of glutamine (Gln) and glutamate (Glu), which is the basis for Mn-induced excitotoxic neuronal injury. In addition, reactive astrocytes are important mediators of Mn-induced neuronal damage by potentiating neuroinflammation. Genetic studies, including those with Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) have uncovered several genes associated with Mn neurotoxicity. Though we have yet to fully understand the role of astrocytes in the pathologic changes characteristic of manganism, significant strides have been made over the last two decades in deciphering the role of astrocytes in Mn-induced neurotoxicity and neurodegeneration.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)2449-2459
Number of pages11
JournalNeurochemical Research
Volume44
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 1 2019

Keywords

  • Astrocyte
  • Glutamate
  • Glutamine
  • Manganese
  • Neurotoxicity

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biochemistry
  • Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience

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