摘要
Two recent studies on Nature Medicine and Nature Communications reported the unusual roles of astrocytes in the brain,that is,release gamma-aminobutyric acid(GABA)and impair hippocampal memory in Alzheimer’s disease(AD).AD represents one common form of neurodegenerative diseases,and is characterized by progressive dementia.The pathological feature of an AD brain includes the
Two recent studies on Nature Medicine and Nature Com- munications reported the unusual roles of astrocytes in the brain, that is, release gamma-aminobutyric acid （GABA） and impair hippocampal memory in Alzheimer＇s disease （AD）. AD represents one common form of neurodegenerative diseases, and is characterized by progressive dementia. The pathological feature of an AD brain includes the appearance of amyloid plaques, fibrillary tangles and the associated loss of neurons. Neurophysiological and neurochemical exami- nations reveal the failures of synaptic transmission （espe- cially the cholinergic modulation）, altered expression of transmitter receptors and changes in the excitatory/ inhibitory balance of transmission.
