Astrocytes and the modulation of sleep
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Haydon PG
Curr Opin Neurobiol
2017[Jun]; 44
(?): 28-33
PMID28284099
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Astrocytes are being identified as having multiple roles in sleep. Initially they
were shown to modulate the process of sleep homeostasis through the release of
adenosine which acts on adenosine A1 receptors (A1R) to promote sleep drive. More
recent studies indicate that the astrocyte also plays pivotal, sleep-dependent
roles in 'cleaning the brain' during sleep. This work indicates that a glymphatic
pathway that critically relies on astrocytic aquaporin 4, is able to flush
solutes from the brain and that deficits in this pathway may contribute to
Alzheimer's disease. Finally, astrocytes are known to play important metabolic
roles and provide energy on demand to neurons through an astrocyte-neuron
shuttle. Given that the time course of astrocytic function is orders of magnitude
slower than that of the neuron, this non-neuronal cell is perfectly tuned to
modulating slow, state-dependent changes in the brain.
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