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Flavonoids and Astrocytes Crosstalking: Implications for Brain Development and Pathology

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Abstract

Flavonoids are naturally occurring polyphenolic compounds that are present in a variety of fruits, vegetables, cereals, tea, and wine, and are the most abundant antioxidants in the human diet. Evidence suggests that these phytochemicals might have an impact on brain pathology and aging; however, neither their mechanisms of action nor their cell targets are completely known. In the mature mammalian brain, astroglia constitute nearly half of the total cells, providing structural, metabolic, and trophic support for neurons. During the past few years, increasing knowledge of these cells has indicated that astrocytes are pivotal characters in neurodegenerative diseases and brain injury. Most of the physiological benefits of flavonoids are generally thought to be due to their antioxidant and free-radical scavenging effects; however, emerging evidence has supported the hypothesis that their mechanism of action might go beyond these properties. In this review, we focus on astrocytes as targets for flavonoids and their implications in brain development, neuroprotection, and glial tumor formation. Finally, we will briefly discuss the emerging view of astrocytes as essential characters in neurodegenerative diseases, and how a better understanding of the action of flavonoids might open new avenues to develop therapeutic approaches to these pathologies.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Janet W. Reid, JWR Associates, Biological Consulting and Editing Services for revising the English text. This study was supported by grants from the Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratório de Neurobiologia Celular, Programa de Biologia Celular e do Desenvolvimento, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Bloco F, Sala F15. Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

    Jader Nones, Joice Stipursky & Flávia Carvalho Alcantara Gomes

  2. Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brazil

    Sílvia Lima Costa

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  1. Jader Nones
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  2. Joice Stipursky
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  3. Sílvia Lima Costa
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  4. Flávia Carvalho Alcantara Gomes
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Correspondence to Flávia Carvalho Alcantara Gomes.

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Nones, J., Stipursky, J., Costa, S.L. et al. Flavonoids and Astrocytes Crosstalking: Implications for Brain Development and Pathology. Neurochem Res 35, 955–966 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-010-0144-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-010-0144-0

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