Yuan Duo Liu, Ge Tang, Feng Qian, Lian Liu*, Jiang Rong Huang* and Feng Ru Tang* Pages 1970 - 1986 ( 17 )
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.
Alzheimer's Disease (AD), astroglial connexins, brain cells, neurological disorders, neuropsychological disorders, radiation exposure.
Medical School of Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434000, Woodlands Health Campus, National Healthcare Group Singapore, Medical School of Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434000, Medical School of Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434000, Medical School of Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434000, Radiation Physiology Laboratory, Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Initiative, National University of Singapore