Title:Astroglial Connexins in Neurological and Neuropsychological Disorders and Radiation Exposure
Volume: 28
Issue: 10
关键词:
阿尔茨海默病(AD),星状胶质连接蛋白,脑细胞,神经障碍,神经心理障碍,辐射暴露
摘要: Radiotherapy is a common treatment for brain and spinal cord tumors and also a risk
factor for neuropathological changes in the brain leading to different neurological and neuropsychological
disorders. Astroglial connexins are involved in brain inflammation, development of
Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), depressive, epilepsy, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and are affected
by radiation exposure. Therefore, it is speculated that radiation-induced changes of astroglial
connexins may be related to the brain neuropathology and development of neurological and
neuropsychological disorders. In this paper, we review the functional expression and regulation of
astroglial connexins expressed between astrocytes and different types of brain cells (including oligodendrocytes,
microglia, neurons and endothelial cells). The roles of these connexins in the development
of AD, depressive, epilepsy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and brain inflammation have
also been summarized. The radiation-induced astroglial connexins changes and development of
different neurological and neuropsychological disorders are then discussed. Based on currently
available data, we propose that radiation-induced astroglial connexins changes may be involved in
the genesis of different neurological and neuropsychological disorders which depends on the age,
brain regions, and radiation doses/dose rates. The abnormal astroglial connexins may be novel
therapeutic targets for the prevention of radiation-induced cognitive impairment, neurological and
neuropsychological disorders.