Hao Cui, Wang Wei, Wang Shuyao, Zhang Lijuan, Guo Yunliang
Institute of Cerebrovascular Diseases, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266003, China.
Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China.
Mar Drugs. 2017 Mar 23;15(4):89. doi: 10.3390/md15040089.
Chitin is the second most abundant biopolymer on Earth and is mainly comprised of a marine invertebrate, consisting of repeating β-1,4 linked N-acetylated glucosamine units, whereas its N-deacetylated product, chitosan, has broad medical applications. Interestingly, chitosan oligosaccharides have therapeutic effects on different types of neuronal disorders, including, but not limited to, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and nerve crush injury. A common link among neuronal disorders is observed at a sub-cellular level, such as atypical protein assemblies and induced neuronal death. Chronic activation of innate immune responses that lead to neuronal injury is also common in these diseases. Thus, the common mechanisms of neuronal disorders might explain the general therapeutic effects of chitosan oligosaccharides and their derivatives in these diseases. This review provides an update on the pathogenesis and therapy for neuronal disorders and will be mainly focused on the recent progress made towards the neuroprotective properties of chitosan and acetylated chitosan oligosaccharides. Their structural features and the underlying molecular mechanisms will also be discussed.
几丁质是地球上第二丰富的生物聚合物，主要由海洋无脊椎动物组成，由重复的β-1,4连接的N-乙酰化葡糖胺单元构成，而其N-脱乙酰化产物壳聚糖具有广泛的医学应用。有趣的是，壳寡糖对不同类型的神经紊乱具有治疗作用，包括但不限于阿尔茨海默病、帕金森病和神经挤压伤。在亚细胞水平观察到神经紊乱之间的一个共同联系，如非典型蛋白质聚集和诱导的神经元死亡。导致神经元损伤的先天性免疫反应的慢性激活在这些疾病中也很常见。因此，神经紊乱的共同机制可能解释了壳寡糖及其衍生物在这些疾病中的一般治疗作用。本综述提供了神经紊乱发病机制和治疗的最新情况，并将主要关注壳聚糖和乙酰化壳寡糖神经保护特性方面的最新进展。还将讨论它们的结构特征和潜在的分子机制。
