Involvement of Astrocytes in the Process of Metabolic Syndrome

Astrocytes constitute a very heterogeneous population of cells, which regulate pH, extracellular levels of ions and neurotransmitters, and energy metabolism in addition to actively participating in neurotransmission. In situations of damage to the CNS, the typical response is the degree of reactive gliosis, which can form glial scars. On the other hand, chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and atherosclerosis have been causally related to low-grade chronic inflammation in various metabolic tissues. It has been pointed out that the identification of hypothalamic inflammatory alterations are triggered by overnutrition, orchestrated by the hypothalamic immune system, and sustained by the pathophysiology associated with the metabolic syndrome. We discuss here the effects of astrocytes and the main astrocyte mechanisms involved in the metabolic syndrome and its comorbidities