Function of Connexins in the Interaction between Glial and Vascular Cells in the Central Nervous System and Related Neurological Diseases

• Published in: Journal of neural transplantation & plasticity Vol. 2018; no. 2018; pp. 1 - 13
• Main Authors: Hu, Wenyu, He, Zhiyi, Xin, Yanguo, Zhao, Yinan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cairo, Egypt Hindawi Publishing Corporation 01.01.2018; Hindawi; John Wiley & Sons, Inc; Hindawi Limited
• Subjects: Animals; B cells; Blood-Brain Barrier - metabolism; Brain - metabolism; Brain Diseases - metabolism; Central nervous system; Communication; Connexins - metabolism; Endothelium; Humans; Lymphatic system; Nervous system; Nervous system diseases; Neuroglia - metabolism; Neurons; Neurons - metabolism; Permeability; Physiological aspects; Proteins; Review; Signal Transduction - physiology; Veins & arteries; China
• ISSN: 2090-5904; 0792-8483; 1687-5443
• DOI: 10.1155/2018/6323901

Neuronal signaling together with synapse activity in the central nervous system requires a precisely regulated microenvironment. Recently, the blood-brain barrier is considered as a “neuro-glia-vascular unit,” a structural and functional compound composed of capillary endothelial cells, glial cells, pericytes, and neurons, which plays a pivotal role in maintaining the balance of the microenvironment in and out of the brain. Tight junctions and adherens junctions, which function as barriers of the blood-brain barrier, are two well-known kinds in the endothelial cell junctions. In this review, we focus on the less-concerned contribution of gap junction proteins, connexins in blood-brain barrier integrity under physio-/pathology conditions. In the neuro-glia-vascular unit, connexins are expressed in the capillary endothelial cells and prominent in astrocyte endfeet around and associated with maturation and function of the blood-brain barrier through a unique signaling pathway and an interaction with tight junction proteins. Connexin hemichannels and connexin gap junction channels contribute to the physiological or pathological progress of the blood-brain barrier; in addition, the interaction with other cell-cell-adhesive proteins is also associated with the maintenance of the blood-brain barrier. Lastly, we explore the connexins and connexin channels involved in the blood-brain barrier in neurological diseases and any programme for drug discovery or delivery to target or avoid the blood-brain barrier.