Impact of Aging in Microglia-Mediated D-Serine Balance in the CNS

A mild chronic inflammatory state, like that observed in aged individuals, affects microglial function, inducing a dysfunctional phenotype that potentiates neuroinflammation and cytotoxicity instead of neuroprotection in response to additional challenges. Given that inflammatory activation of microg...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sebastián Beltrán-Castillo, Jaime Eugenín, Rommy von Bernhardi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2018-01-01
Series:Mediators of Inflammation
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/7219732
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:A mild chronic inflammatory state, like that observed in aged individuals, affects microglial function, inducing a dysfunctional phenotype that potentiates neuroinflammation and cytotoxicity instead of neuroprotection in response to additional challenges. Given that inflammatory activation of microglia promotes increased release of D-serine, we postulate that age-dependent inflammatory brain environment leads to microglia-mediated changes on the D-serine-regulated glutamatergic transmission. Furthermore, D-serine dysregulation, in addition to affecting synaptogenesis and synaptic plasticity, appears also to potentiate NMDAR-dependent excitotoxicity, promoting neurodegeneration and cognitive impairment. D-serine dysregulation promoted by microglia could have a role in age-related cognitive impairment and in the induction and progression of neurodegenerative processes like Alzheimer’s disease.
ISSN:0962-9351
1466-1861