Role of the neurovascular unit in the process of cerebral ischemic injury

[Display omitted] •This review is the first integral analysis of the main components of neurovascular unit- astrocytes, microglia, brain microvascular endothelial cells and neuronal cells in cerebral ischemic injury.•By introducing the concept of neurovascular unit, the mechanism of cerebral ischemic injury was analyzed from a holistic perspective.•Chemokines, Bcl-2, Bax, caspase-3 and MMPs work together as co-regulatory factors in neurovascular unit.•The JNK signaling pathway is involved in the regulation of cerebral ischemic injury by the NVU system as a common regulatory pathway. Cerebral ischemic injury exhibits both high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Traditional research of the pathogenesis of cerebral ischemic injury has focused on separate analyses of the involved cell types. In recent years, the neurovascular unit (NVU) mechanism of cerebral ischemic injury has been proposed in modern medicine. Hence, more effective strategies for the treatment of cerebral ischemic injury may be provided through comprehensive analysis of brain cells and the extracellular matrix. However, recent studies that have investigated the function of the NVU in cerebral ischemic injury have been insufficient. In addition, the metabolism and energy conversion of the NVU depend on interactions among multiple cell types, which make it difficult to identify the unique contribution of each cell type. Therefore, in the present review, we comprehensively summarize the regulatory effects and recovery mechanisms of four major cell types (i.e., astrocytes, microglia, brain-microvascular endothelial cells, and neurons) in the NVU under cerebral ischemic injury, as well as discuss the interactions among these cell types in the NVU. Furthermore, we discuss the common signaling pathways and signaling factors that mediate cerebral ischemic injury in the NVU, which may help to provide a theoretical basis for the comprehensive elucidation of cerebral ischemic injury.