The effects of beta-amyloid protein and presenilin on potassium channel / 中国药理学通报

ABSTRACT

Alzheimer disease(AD) is the most common cau se of dementia today. Th e characteristic histopathologic changes include neurofibrillary tangles, neurit ic plaques, neuronal loss, and amyloid angiopathy. The noted Alzheimer symptom is the dysfunction of learning a nd memory. Potassium channels play a key role in it. A 113-pS tetraethylammoniu m-sensitive potassium channel was consistently absent from AD fibroblasts and o lfactory neuroblasts. Cp20, a memory-associated protein, amyloid precuror prote in and presenilin which are all tightly associated with genetic Alzheimer diseas e can regulate the activities of potassium channels. The changes of potassium ch annels subtype need further study. Potassium channels are maybe the important dr ug targets in the treatment of Alzheimer disease.