Targeting α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor to Combat Inflammation in Cardio-Cerebral-Vascular Diseases.
BACKGROUND
Cardio-cerebral-vascular diseases, including myocardial infarction, atherosclerosis, hypertension, and stroke etc, are the major reasons for morbidity and mortality all over the world. Recent studies showed that inflammation exerts an important impact on the pathogenesis and development of cardio-cerebral-vascular diseases. "The cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway", mainly modulated through α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR), has attracted much attention.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this review was to discuss the role of α7nAChR during the pathological processes in myocardial infarction, atherosclerosis, hypertension and stroke.


RESULTS
Most of the existing literatures involved in studying on myocardial infarction, atherosclerosis, hypertension and stroke showed that activation of α7nAChR might be a potential strategy for the prevention and treatment of these diseases.


CONCLUSION
Targeting α7nAChR to combat inflammation might be a novel therapy in cardiocerebral- vascular diseases.
['Fu|Hui|H|', 'Ni|Min|M|', 'Chen|Ji-Kuai|JK|', 'Zhao|Ting|T|', 'Deng|Ya-Ping|YP|', 'Li|Dong-Jie|DJ|', 'Jiang|Guo-Jun|GJ|', 'Shen|Fu-Ming|FM|']
D000818:Animals D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents D050197:Atherosclerosis D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders D004195:Disease Models, Animal D006801:Humans D006973:Hypertension D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy D009203:Myocardial Infarction D020521:Stroke D064569:alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor
inflammation cardio-cerebral-vascular diseases myocardial infarction hypertension α7nAChR anti-inflammation target