Editorial: Glial plasticity in depression

• Published in: Frontiers in cellular neuroscience Vol. 10; no. 10; p. 163
• Main Authors: Oliveira, João F., Gomes, Catarina Alexandra Silva, Vaz, Sandra H., Sousa, Nuno, Pinto, Luísa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Frontiers Media 17-06-2016; Frontiers Research Foundation; Frontiers Media S.A
• Subjects: Antidepressants; Astrocyte; Brain research; Conflicts of interest; Connexin 43; Depression; Glia; Glial plasticity; Health sciences; Immunomodulation; Mental depression; Microglia; Morphology; Nervous system; Neuroimaging; Neuroscience; Oligodendrocites; Phenotypes; Research centers; Science & Technology; Portugal; oligodendrocites; depression; astrocyte; glia; microglia
• ISSN: 1662-5102; 1662-5102
• DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2016.00163

Jo et al. discuss the importance of the glial-mediated immune modulation through cytokine signaling that may trigger depressive episodes, and Branchi et al. highlight that by participating actively in the modulation of the extracellular environment microglia are an integral part of brain plasticity and, therefore, appear to account directly for the precipitation of the depressive disorder. Interestingly, the decreased levels of astrocyte-specific connexin 43 (Cx43) appear to be related with antidepressant and anti-anxiolytic phenotypes as suggested by Quesseveur et al. [...]the authors suggest that the inactivation of Cx43 might induce beneficial effects through an attenuation of the stress response, “avoiding” depressive symptoms. João F. Oliveira1,2,3*, Catarina A. Gomes4,5, Sandra H. Vaz6,7, Nuno Sousa1,2 and Luisa Pinto1,2 * 1Life and Health Sciences Research Institute, School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal * 2Life and Health Sciences Research Institute/3B's—PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal * 3DIGARC, Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave, Barcelos, Portugal * 4Faculty of Medicine, Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal * 5Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences and Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal * 6Faculdade de Medicina, Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal * 7Faculdade de Medicina, Instituto de Farmacologia e Neurociências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal