New advances on glial activation in health and disease

Table 3 Mediators of astroglial function

Mediators	Examples	Effects on astroglial function
Cytokines	IL-6, IFNβ, TNF-α, TGF-β, GM-CSF, BAFF, IL-1β, MCP-1, RANTES	Increase BBB permeability, astrocyte activation, endothelial cell activation, microglial and monocyte activation, differentiation and proliferation, immunosuppression, release of neuroprotective mediators
Chemokines	CCL2, CCL5, CCL20, CXCL10, CXCL1, CXCl1, CXCl2, CX3CL1	Recruitment of monocytes and macrophages, dendritic T cells, T and B lymphocytes, and neutrophils/regulation of myelination and microglial activity, astrocyte proliferation and survival, migration of microglia and neural progenitors
Trophic Factors	EGF, FGF, NGF, BDNF, VEGF, IGF1	Astrocyte activation and morphological modification, neuronal/astrocytic survival, differentiation, function, and regeneration, oligodendrocyte survival, remyelination, neurogenesis
Endothelins	Et1, Et3	Inhibit gap junction coupling, disrupts direct intercellular communication in astrocytes, intracellular and extracellular ion homeostasis, metabolic trafficking, cellular swelling

IL: Interleukin; IFN: Interferon; TNF: Tumor necrosis factor; TGF: Transforming growth factor; GM-CSF: Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor; BAFF: B-cell activating factor; MCP: Monocyte chemoattractant protein; CCL: Chemokine ligand; CXCL: CXC motif ligand; EGF; Epidermal growth factor; FGF: Fibroblast growth factor; NGF: Nerve growth factor; BDNF: Bone derived neurotrophic factor; VEGF: Vascular endothelial growth factor; IGF: Insulin-like growth factor; Et: Endothelin.