The role of purinergic signaling in microglial responses

Abstract

Microglia, the primary immune cells in the central nervous system (CNS), are key to the maintenance of homeostasis in the brain parenchyma. In the intact brain, microglia continuously survey the microenvironment with ramified processes. Upon disease and/or damage, they rapidly convert into an amoeboid morphology, move toward the injury, and release cytokines to repair damage or clear debris. Purinergic signaling plays an important role in regulating microglial dynamics and immune responses. Specific purinergic receptors have been shown to participate in different aspects of microglial responses in the normal and diseased brains. In this review, we focus on the role of purinergic signaling-mediated microglial responses under physiological and pathological conditions.

Recent advances in low-level laser therapy on depression

“…Studies have shown that this pathway can be activated by LLLT [116,117]. LLLT may antagonize depression by activating PI3K-Akt-mTOR-BDNF signaling pathway through Ca 2+ influx induced by ATP-binding receptor P2X2 [118,119]. Besides, the involvement of PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β in the anti-apoptotic process suggests the possibility of treating some GSK-3β-driven neuronal degenerative diseases [120].…”