Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Dysfunction in Addiction and in Some Neurodegenerative and Neuropsychiatric Diseases

卷:12

Review

关键词: DOPA-INDUCED DYSKINESIAS;    NONNEURONAL CHOLINERGIC SYSTEM;    LONG-TERM POTENTIATION;    PARTIAL DUPLICATION;    THERAPEUTIC TARGETS;    INDUCED SEIZURES;    INCREASED SENSITIVITY;    PREFRONTAL CORTEX;    EXCITATORY INPUTS;    PILOCARPINE MODEL;   

DOI  :  10.3390/cells12162051

来源: SCIE

【 摘 要 】

The cholinergic system plays an essential role in brain development, physiology, and pathophysiology. Herein, we review how specific alterations in this system, through genetic mutations or abnormal receptor function, can lead to aberrant neural circuitry that triggers disease. The review focuses on the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) and its role in addiction and in neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases and epilepsy. Cholinergic dysfunction is associated with inflammatory processes mainly through the involvement of a7 nAChRs expressed in brain and in peripheral immune cells. Evidence suggests that these neuroinflammatory processes trigger and aggravate pathological states. We discuss the preclinical evidence demonstrating the therapeutic potential of nAChR ligands in Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, schizophrenia spectrum disorders, and in autosomal dominant sleep-related hypermotor epilepsy. PubMed and Google Scholar bibliographic databases were searched with the keywords indicated below.