scholarly journals Microglia TREM2: A Potential Role in the Mechanism of Action of Electroacupuncture in an Alzheimer’s Disease Animal Model

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Yujie Li ◽  
Jing Jiang ◽  
Qisheng Tang ◽  
Huiling Tian ◽  
Shun Wang ◽  
...  

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the most serious public health concerns facing the world. Its characteristic feature is neuroinflammation due to microglial activation. Electroacupuncture is one of the therapies employed to improve the condition of patients with AD, although its mechanism of action is still to be determined. Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) is a microglia-specific receptor that is involved in regulating neuroinflammation in AD. In this study, we applied senescence-accelerated mouse-prone 8 mice as the AD animal model, used the Morris water maze, and applied hematoxylin and eosin staining, immunofluorescence double staining, and Western blotting, to explore the effects and potential mechanisms of action of electroacupuncture. In summary, this study suggested that electroacupuncture treatment could improve the learning and memory abilities (p<0.05) and protect neurons. These effects result from acupuncture could upregulate TREM2 expression in the hippocampus (p<0.01), which was essential for the anti-inflammatory effects in the AD animal model. However, further studies are needed to conclusively demonstrate the mechanism of action of electroacupuncture in AD.

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 2790
Author(s):  
Gilbert Ogunmokun ◽  
Saikat Dewanjee ◽  
Pratik Chakraborty ◽  
Chandrasekhar Valupadas ◽  
Anupama Chaudhary ◽  
...  

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the most prominent neurodegenerative diseases, which impairs cognitive function in afflicted individuals. AD results in gradual decay of neuronal function as a consequence of diverse degenerating events. Several neuroimmune players (such as cytokines and growth factors that are key players in maintaining CNS homeostasis) turn aberrant during crosstalk between the innate and adaptive immunities. This aberrance underlies neuroinflammation and drives neuronal cells toward apoptotic decline. Neuroinflammation involves microglial activation and has been shown to exacerbate AD. This review attempted to elucidate the role of cytokines, growth factors, and associated mechanisms implicated in the course of AD, especially with neuroinflammation. We also evaluated the propensities and specific mechanism(s) of cytokines and growth factors impacting neuron upon apoptotic decline and further shed light on the availability and accessibility of cytokines across the blood-brain barrier and choroid plexus in AD pathophysiology. The pathogenic and the protective roles of macrophage migration and inhibitory factors, neurotrophic factors, hematopoietic-related growth factors, TAU phosphorylation, advanced glycation end products, complement system, and glial cells in AD and neuropsychiatric pathology were also discussed. Taken together, the emerging roles of these factors in AD pathology emphasize the importance of building novel strategies for an effective therapeutic/neuropsychiatric management of AD in clinics.


Author(s):  
V.J.A. Montpetit ◽  
S. Dancea ◽  
S.W. French ◽  
D.F. Clapin

A continuing problem in Alzheimer research is the lack of a suitable animal model for the disease. The absence of neurofibrillary tangles of paired helical filaments is the most critical difference in the processes by which the central nervous system ages in most species other than man. However, restricting consideration to single phenomena, one may identify animal models for specific aspects of Alzheimer's disease. Abnormal fibers resembling PHF have been observed in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons of rats in a study of chronic ethanol intoxication and spontaneously in aged rats. We present in this report evidence that PHF-like filaments occur in ethanol-treated rats of young age. In control animals lesions similar in some respects to our observations of cytoskeletal pathology in pyridoxine induced neurotoxicity were observed.Male Wistar BR rats (Charles River Labs) weighing 350 to 400 g, were implanted with a single gastrostomy cannula and infused with a liquid diet containing 30% of total calories as fat plus ethanol or isocaloric dextrose.


PIERS Online ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 311-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia V. Bobkova ◽  
Vadim V. Novikov ◽  
Natalia I. Medvinskaya ◽  
Irina Yu. Aleksandrova ◽  
Eugenii E. Fesenko

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 252-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jae K Ryu ◽  
Jonathan P Little ◽  
Andis Klegeris ◽  
Nattinee Jantaratnotai ◽  
James G McLarnon

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 544-558 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Petrella ◽  
Maria Grazia Di Certo ◽  
Christian Barbato ◽  
Francesca Gabanella ◽  
Massimo Ralli ◽  
...  

Neuropeptides are small proteins broadly expressed throughout the central nervous system, which act as neurotransmitters, neuromodulators and neuroregulators. Growing evidence has demonstrated the involvement of many neuropeptides in both neurophysiological functions and neuropathological conditions, among which is Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The role exerted by neuropeptides in AD is endorsed by the evidence that they are mainly neuroprotective and widely distributed in brain areas responsible for learning and memory processes. Confirming this point, it has been demonstrated that numerous neuropeptide-containing neurons are pathologically altered in brain areas of both AD patients and AD animal models. Furthermore, the levels of various neuropeptides have been found altered in both Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) and blood of AD patients, getting insights into their potential role in the pathophysiology of AD and offering the possibility to identify novel additional biomarkers for this pathology. We summarized the available information about brain distribution, neuroprotective and cognitive functions of some neuropeptides involved in AD. The main focus of the current review was directed towards the description of clinical data reporting alterations in neuropeptides content in both AD patients and AD pre-clinical animal models. In particular, we explored the involvement in the AD of Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone (TRH), Cocaine- and Amphetamine-Regulated Transcript (CART), Cholecystokinin (CCK), bradykinin and chromogranin/secretogranin family, discussing their potential role as a biomarker or therapeutic target, leaving the dissertation of other neuropeptides to previous reviews.


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