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Research progress of signal pathways of microglia activation in sleep disorders

SHU Zhi-Jun, ZHANG Quan-Yi, XU Yi-Peng, ZHAO Zheng-Yu^*

School of Acupuncture-moxibustion and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610075, China

Abstract

Sleep is an extremely important physiological state to maintain human life. Sleep disorders can not only cause anxiety and depression, but also induce multi-system diseases that seriously affect brain function and physical health. The neuroinflammation is a key pathological process after sleep disorders, which can induce a series of nervous system diseases. In recent years, the role of microglia activation in neuroinflammation has been paid more and more attention and become a research hotspot in this field. The imbalance of the central microenvironment after sleep disorders leads to changes in the activation and polarization of microglia, which triggers neuroinflammatory response. The activation and polarization of microglia in the sleep disorders are regulated by multiple signaling pathways and complex molecular mechanisms. This paper summarizes five signaling pathways of microglia activation in central inflammation induced by sleep disorders, including P2X7 receptor (P2X7R), p38MAPK, Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/NF-κB, JAK/STAT, and α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7-nAChR) pathways, in order to provide reference for further research and clinical treatment targets selection of sleep disorders.

Key words: sleep disorders; neuroinflammation; microglia; P2X7R; p38MAPK; TLR4/NF-κB; JAK/STAT; α7-nAChR

Received: 　　Accepted:

Corresponding author: 赵征宇　　E-mail: zhaozhengyu@cdutcm.edu.cn

Citing This Article：

SHU Zhi-Jun, ZHANG Quan-Yi, XU Yi-Peng, ZHAO Zheng-Yu. Research progress of signal pathways of microglia activation in sleep disorders. Acta Physiol Sin 2023; 75 (4): 569-574 (in Chinese with English abstract).