Role of astroglial α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in neuroinflammation and oxidative stress

α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are widely distributed throughout the central nervous system (CNS) and periphery. Within the CNS, these receptors are expressed in neurons and glia cells, and are actively involved in learning, memory and attention. A majority of the studies evaluating the role of α7nAchRs in the CNS have focused on neurons. However, these receptors are also present on astrocytes, which represent 20-40% of the brain cells and are key regulators of neuroinflammation and oxidative stress in several neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Less evidence exists regarding the potential anti-inflammatory properties of these receptors in astrocytes. Therefore, we evaluated the role of α7 nAChR activation in both in vitro and in vivo models of neuroinflammation and aimed to elucidate the molecular mechanism of anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties of these receptors in astrocytes.