The glymphatic system: concept, function and research progresses.
- Author:
Lin-Hui WANG
1
;
Zi-Lan WANG
1
;
Wen-Yue CHEN
1
;
Ming-Jia CHEN
1
;
Guang-Yin XU
2
Author Information
1. Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China.
2. Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China. guangyinxu@suda.edu.cn.
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- From:
Acta Physiologica Sinica
2018;70(1):52-60
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
The glymphatic system is a cerebrospinal fluid-interstitial fluid exchange system dependent on the water channel aquaporin-4 polarized on astrocyte endfeet, which is proposed to account for the clearance of abnormal proteins (e.g. β-amyloid) and metabolites (e.g. lactate) from the brain. Accumulating studies have revealed that glymphatic activity during sleep and general anesthesia is dramatically enhanced, while its function is significantly damaged during aging, traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer's disease, stroke, and diabetes. The glymphatic hypothesis is a breakthrough in the field of neuroscience recently, which would considerably enhance our comprehension on the cerebrospinal fluid circulation and its role in the maintenance of brain homeostasis. In this review, we briefly introduced the conceptualization of glymphatic system, summarized the recent progresses, and prospected its future investigation and potential clinical application.
