The Expression Of ATP-sensitive Potassium Channels In Microglia And Its Regulatory Effects On Microglia-induced Neuroinflammation

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the classic symptoms of bradykinesia, rigidity, and rest tremor. It affects approximately 2% of the population over the age of 55. The neuropathological hallmarks in PD are the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, together with the presence of intraneuronal inclusions termed Lewy bodies. PD is primarily a sporadic disorder and its specific etiology is incompletely understood. Oxidative stress, excitotoxicity, neuroinflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction and proteotoxic stress have been suggested the mechanisms lead to dopaminergic neuron degeneration. Current understanding of PD has led to major breakthroughs in treatment. But there are significant side effects with now available pharmacological therapies, which mainly focus on dopamine replacement. Consequently, further to explore the underlying mechanisms of PD and develop new effective drug targets have seemed desirous for PD therapy. Increasing evidences have demonstrated that inhibition of microglial activation will be a prospective strategy for combating neurodegenerative disorders such as PD.ATP-sensitive potassium channel (K_ATP) has been proved as an important novel site for neuroprotection. Our recent research has revealed that iptakalim (IPT), which can freely cross the blood-brain...