Publications by authors named "Alexander M Kuhn"
Looking Back to Move Forward: Research in Stress, Behavior, and Immune Function.
Neuroimmunomodulation
October 2024
Article Synopsis
- Stress research has evolved from early adrenal gland studies to modern multi-dimensional analyses, revealing its impact on the immune system and behavior over the past century.
- This review outlines key historical discoveries and recent findings, particularly how stress alters immune responses in the brain, with special attention to microglial activity.
- The main takeaway is that stress affects both the nervous and immune systems, potentially leading to significant neurobiological changes that could contribute to psychiatric disorders.
Astrocytes form an integral component of the neurovascular unit, ensheathing brain blood vessels with projections high in aquaporin-4 (AQP4) expression. These AQP4-rich projections facilitate interaction between the vascular endothelium, astrocytes, and neurons, and help stabilize vascular morphology. Studies using preclinical models of psychological stress and post-mortem tissue from patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) have reported reductions in AQP4, loss of astrocytic structures, and vascular impairment in the prefrontal cortex (PFC).
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