Increased regional cerebral glucose metabolism and semantic memory performance in Alzheimer's disease: A pilot double blind transdermal nicotine positron emission tomography study

Nicotinic receptor dysfunction and impaired semantic memory occur early in Alzheimer's disease patients (AD). Previous research implied that nicotine's ability to enhance alertness, arousal, and cognition in a number of nonclinical populations was a function of its ability to stimulate CNS nicotinic cholinergic receptors. In this study it was hypothesized that transdermal administration of nicotine would increase both regional cerebral glucose metabolism (rCMRglc) and semantic memory (as assessed by verbal fluency). Two mild AD and two elderly controls underwent positron emission tomography scanning during a double blind nicotinic agonist verbal fluency challenge procedure. rCMRglc increases occurred in both AD patients, but not controls. In the two AD patients, verbal fluency scores increased by an average of 17%. One elderly control's verbal fluency increased, and the other decreased. These findings suggest that nicotine's effect on metabolism and verbal fluency is due to its ability to stimulate the cholinergic system.     

心肌缺血再灌注损伤治疗新策略——胆碱能抗炎通路

缺血再灌注损伤（ischemia／reperfusion injury,IRI）是在组织器官缺血恢复血流后,细胞代谢功能障碍及结构破坏反而加重的现象。炎症及其介质可诱发、加重心肌缺血再灌注损伤,已证明与其关系密切。胆碱能抗炎通路是新发现的一条与神经免疫机制相关的抗炎通路,通过分泌乙酰胆碱,抑制炎症因子释放,为防治心肌缺血再灌注损伤提供新的治疗策略。