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In Vitro Aggregation Assays Using Hyperphosphorylated Tau Protein
09:22

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Published on: January 2, 2015

Anesthesia and tau pathology.

Robert A Whittington1, Alexis Bretteville, Maya F Dickler

  • 1Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, United States.

Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry
|March 29, 2013
PubMed
Summary

General anesthetics may worsen Alzheimer's disease (AD) by promoting tau protein pathology. This review examines how anesthesia impacts tau hyperphosphorylation and neurofibrillary tangle formation in AD patients.

Keywords:
3-repeat tau isoforms3R3×Tg-AD4-repeat tau isoforms4RADAKT/PKBAPPAlzheimer's diseaseAnesthesiaAβBDNFCSFCaMKIIDexERKGABAGSK-3βJNKKinaseMACMAPKMTMWMMorris water mazeN-methyl d-aspartate receptorNFTNMDA-RNR2BPP1PP2APP2BPS-1PhosphataseSerSrcTauTau-SH-SY5Y cellsThramyloid-βamyloid-β precursor proteinbrain-derived neurotrophic factorc-Jun N-terminal kinasecalcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IIcdk5cerebrospinal fluidcyclin-dependent kinase 5dexmedetomidineextracellular signal-regulated kinaseglycogen synthase kinase-3βhuman neuroblastoma cells constitutively expressing human tau with 3 microtubule-binding domainsi.p.intra peritonealmicrotubuleminimum alveolar concentrationmitogen-activated protein kinaseneurofibrillary tanglespresenilin-1protein kinase Bprotein phosphatase 1protein phosphatase 2Aprotein phosphatase 2Bserineshort for sarcoma, a non-receptor tyrosine kinasesubunit 2B of NMDA receptorthreoninetriple transgenic Alzheimer's disease mouse modelγ-aminobutyric acid

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Neuropathology
  • Anesthesiology

Background:

  • Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a leading cause of dementia, with increasing prevalence due to rising life expectancy.
  • The number of surgical patients with AD is expected to grow, highlighting the need to understand factors influencing AD pathogenesis.
  • General anesthetics are emerging as potential environmental factors contributing to AD development and progression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review existing literature on the impact of anesthetic administration on Alzheimer's disease pathology.
  • To elucidate the mechanisms by which general anesthetics may affect tau protein phosphorylation and aggregation.
  • To understand the link between anesthetic exposure and the development of neurofibrillary pathology in AD.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies investigating anesthetic effects on tau protein.
  • Analysis of research on tau hyperphosphorylation and aggregation mechanisms.
  • Examination of studies correlating anesthetic exposure with neurofibrillary tangle formation.

Main Results:

  • Anesthetic exposure has been linked to aberrant tau hyperphosphorylation.
  • General anesthetics may influence the aggregation of tau protein into neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs).
  • Tau pathology, characterized by NFTs, is a key hallmark of AD and correlates with cognitive decline.

Conclusions:

  • General anesthetics may exacerbate Alzheimer's disease by promoting tau pathology.
  • Further research is needed to fully understand the relationship between anesthesia and AD progression.
  • Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for managing AD patients undergoing surgery.