Taipei Neuroscience Institute, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan.
Graduate Institute of Neural Regenerative Medicine, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan.
Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Feb 2;24(3):2909. doi: 10.3390/ijms24032909.
The cerebral vascular system stringently regulates cerebral blood flow (CBF). The components of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) protect the brain from pathogenic infections and harmful substances, efflux waste, and exchange substances; however, diseases develop in cases of blood vessel injuries and BBB dysregulation. Vascular pathology is concurrent with the mechanisms underlying aging, Alzheimer's disease (AD), and vascular dementia (VaD), which suggests its involvement in these mechanisms. Therefore, in the present study, we reviewed the role of vascular dysfunction in aging and neurodegenerative diseases, particularly AD and VaD. During the development of the aforementioned diseases, changes occur in the cerebral blood vessel morphology and local cells, which, in turn, alter CBF, fluid dynamics, and vascular integrity. Chronic vascular inflammation and blood vessel dysregulation further exacerbate vascular dysfunction. Multitudinous pathogenic processes affect the cerebrovascular system, whose dysfunction causes cognitive impairment. Knowledge regarding the pathophysiology of vascular dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases and the underlying molecular mechanisms may lead to the discovery of clinically relevant vascular biomarkers, which may facilitate vascular imaging for disease prevention and treatment.
脑血管系统严格调节脑血流量 (CBF)。血脑屏障 (BBB) 的组成部分可保护大脑免受病原性感染和有害物质的侵害，排出废物并交换物质；然而，在血管损伤和 BBB 调节异常的情况下，疾病会发展。血管病理学与衰老、阿尔茨海默病 (AD) 和血管性痴呆 (VaD) 的机制同时存在，这表明其参与了这些机制。因此，在本研究中，我们综述了血管功能障碍在衰老和神经退行性疾病，特别是 AD 和 VaD 中的作用。在上述疾病的发展过程中，脑血管形态和局部细胞发生变化，进而改变 CBF、流体动力学和血管完整性。慢性血管炎症和血管调节异常进一步加重血管功能障碍。众多致病过程影响脑血管系统，其功能障碍导致认知障碍。关于神经退行性疾病血管功能障碍的病理生理学及其潜在分子机制的知识可能会导致发现具有临床相关性的血管生物标志物，这可能有助于进行血管成像以预防和治疗疾病。
