Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2014, Vol. 9 ›› Issue (24): 2128-2131.doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.147943

Previous Articles     Next Articles

Activities of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors modulate neurotransmission and synaptic architecture

Akira Oda 1, Hidekazu Tanaka 2   

  1. 1 CNS Drug Discovery Unit, Pharmaceutical Research Division, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, 2-26-1, Muraoka-higashi, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 251-8555, Japan
    2 Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1, Noji-higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-8577, Japan
  • Received:2014-11-03 Online:2014-12-25 Published:2014-12-25
  • Contact: Hidekazu Tanaka, M.D., Ph.D., Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, hdtanaka@fc.ritsumei.ac.jp.
  • Supported by:

    Tanaka H is supported by the Takeda Science Foundation and JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 19590247.

PDF

1333

Abstract:

The cholinergic system is involved in a broad spectrum of brain function, and its failure has been implicated in Alzheimer’s disease. Acetylcholine transduces signals through muscarinic and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, both of which influence synaptic plasticity and cognition. However, the mechanisms that relate the rapid gating of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors to persistent changes in brain function have remained elusive. Recent evidence indicates that nicotinic acetylcholine receptors activities affect synaptic morphology and density, which result in persistent rearrangements of neural connectivity. Further investigations of the relationships between nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and rearrangements of neural circuitry in the central nervous system may help understand the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease.

Key words: cholinergic system, nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), synaptic transmission, synaptic plasticity, synaptic morphology, dendritic spine remodeling, cognition