Effect of Astrocyte-neuron Coupling Imbalance in Development of Alzheimer's Disease and Intervention Mechanism of Kidney-tonifying and Marrow-filling TCM Prescriptions / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ABSTRACT

Astrocytes are important nerve cells in the central nervous system （CNS）， which mainly play a key role in nutrition and support. Astrocytes and neurons undergo close energy coupling and substance coupling， which are closely related and interact with each other. In recent years， many studies have shown that the astrocyte-neuron coupling imbalance plays a central role in the occurrence and progression of Alzheimer's disease （AD） and serves as an important therapeutic target receiving increasing attention. According to traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） theory， the main pathogenesis of AD is kidney deficiency and marrow inadequacy， and in clinical medication， kidney-tonifying and marrow-filling TCM prescriptions are often employed with satisfactory results achieved. As reported， many kidney-tonifying and marrow-filling prescriptions exhibit regulatory and protective effects on the imbalance of astrocyte-neuron coupling， suggesting that the effect of kidney-tonifying and marrow-filling prescriptions in treating AD may have some internal relationship with its regulation of the imbalance of astrocyte-neuron coupling. This article reviewed the underlying internal relationship between the imbalance of astrocyte-neuron coupling and the pathogenesis of kidney deficiency and marrow inadequacy in AD and the research progress in the intervention mechanism of TCM for tonifying the kidney and filling the marrow.