The involvement of astrocytes and kynurenine pathway in Alzheimer's disease.

The kynurenine pathway (KP) and several of its neuroactive products, especially quinolinic acid (QUIN), are considered to be involved in the neuropathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). There is growing evidence suggesting that astrocytes play a critical role in the regulation of the excitotoxicity and inflammatory processes that occur during the evolution of AD. This review focuses on the role of astrocytes through their relation with the KP to the different features associated with AD including cytokine, chemokine and adhesion molecule production, cytoskeletal changes, astrogliosis, excitotoxicity, apoptosis and neurodegeneration.