Peculiarities of Brain Cell Functioning in Hyperglycemia and Diabetes Mellitus

Hyperglycemia is a symptom and damaging factor of diabetesmellitus (DM) that leads to systemic complications in the body,including cerebral macro- and microangiopathies, impaired bloodsupply, appearance of neurodegeneration foci, and triggering neuroinflammation.Nervous tissue is characterized by a high level of energy consumptionand is highly sensitive to fluctuations in the level of metabolicsubstrates. Therefore, it is extremely important to study the effectof high glucose levels on the functional state of the central nervoussystem. This review attempts to comprehensively assess the effects ofhyperglycemia on brain cells. Analysis of experimental data on themorphofunctional state of neurons, microglia and astrocytes, obtainedin in vivo and in vitro models of diabetes, showed that direct and indirecteffects of high glucose concentrations depend on the cell type.Astrocytic and microglial receptors and intracellular signalingcascades, which mediate the effects of hyperglycemia and the developmentof neuroinflammation, can act as therapeutic targets for correctingdiabetic consequences. Thus, the search for new ways to modulatethe functional activity of glial cells may be an effective strategyin reducing the severity of CNS injuries and their aftereffects.