Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease with high incidence in the elderly population, and the synaptic changes in central neurons are the key pathological feature. The clinical effect of acupuncture and moxibustion in the treatment of AD is positive, and the research on the mechanism of acupuncture intervention of AD from the perspective of central synaptic plasticity regulation has been conducted uninterruptedly. In the present paper, we made a summation about the relevant experimental studies in recent years, and analyzed its mechanisms underlying improvement of AD by regulating synaptic plasticity from 1) repairing synaptic structure (synaptic contact area [total number of synapses, synaptic surface density, synaptic number density], postsynaptic dense zone thickness, synaptic gap width, and interface curvature), 2) improving synaptic transmission efficiency (regulating long-term potentiation and long-term depression), 3) promoting the expression of synapse related proteins (synaptophysin, postsynaptic density protein 95, growth associated protein 43), 4) regulating the expression of neurotransmitters (acetylcholine, monoamines, amino acids, etc.) and receptors (α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, glutaminergic receptor, etc.), and 5) improving the level of neurotrophic factors (brain derived neurotrophic factor, BDNF) and BDNF/SYN/microtubule-associated protein 2 signaling, etc., hoping to provide a reference for future studies.
阿尔茨海默病(AD)是老年人群高发的神经退行性疾病,中枢神经元突触改变是其关键病理特征。针灸治疗AD临床疗效确切,从中枢突触可塑性调节角度探讨针刺干预AD的机制研究不断深入。本文整理近年来相关实验研究,从修复突触结构、改善突触传递效能、促进突触相关蛋白表达、调控神经递质和受体表达、提高神经营养因子水平等多途径总结探讨针刺调节突触可塑性治疗AD的作用机制,从而为后期研究提供依据。.
Keywords: Acupuncture; Alzheimer’s disease; Review; Synaptic plasticity.