Autophagy is a lysosome-mediated degradation process for non-essential or damaged cellular constituents, playing an important homeostatic role in cell survival, differentiation and development to maintain homeostasis....Autophagy is a lysosome-mediated degradation process for non-essential or damaged cellular constituents, playing an important homeostatic role in cell survival, differentiation and development to maintain homeostasis. Autophagy is involved in tumors as well as neurodegenerative, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Recently, active compounds from traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） have been found to modulate the levels of autophagy in tumor cells, nerve cells, myocardial cells and endothelial cells. Ischemic stroke is a major cause of neurological disability and places a heavy burden on family and society. Regaining function can significantly reduce dependence and improve the quality of life of stroke survivors. In healthy cells, autophagy plays a key role in adapting to nutritional deprivation and eliminating aggregated proteins, however inappropriate activation of autophagy may lead to cell death in cerebral ischemia. This paper reviews the process and the molecular basis of autophagy, as well as its roles in cerebral ischemia and the roles of TCM in modulating its activity.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81102557)the Aid Project for Innovation Platform Open Fund of Hunan Province University (No. 14K068)+4 种基金the Key Project of Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Hunan Province (No. 201301, No. 201508)General Project of Science and Technology Department of Hunan Province (No. 2014SK3001)the Ministry of Education Key Laboratory Open Fund Established by the Province and the Ministry (No. ZYNK201405)the Aid Program for Science and Technology Innovative Research Team in Higher Educational Institutions of Hunan Provincethe Hunan Province Natural Science Innovation Group
文摘Autophagy is a lysosome-mediated degradation process for non-essential or damaged cellular constituents, playing an important homeostatic role in cell survival, differentiation and development to maintain homeostasis. Autophagy is involved in tumors as well as neurodegenerative, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Recently, active compounds from traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） have been found to modulate the levels of autophagy in tumor cells, nerve cells, myocardial cells and endothelial cells. Ischemic stroke is a major cause of neurological disability and places a heavy burden on family and society. Regaining function can significantly reduce dependence and improve the quality of life of stroke survivors. In healthy cells, autophagy plays a key role in adapting to nutritional deprivation and eliminating aggregated proteins, however inappropriate activation of autophagy may lead to cell death in cerebral ischemia. This paper reviews the process and the molecular basis of autophagy, as well as its roles in cerebral ischemia and the roles of TCM in modulating its activity.
