Estrogens, Neuroinflammation, and Neurodegeneration.

ABSTRACT: Inflammatory activation of microglia is a hallmark of several disorders of the central nervous system. In addition to protecting the brain against inflammatory insults, microglia are neuroprotective and play a significant role in maintaining neuronal connectivity, but the prolongation of an inflammatory status may limit the beneficial functions of these immune cells. The finding that estrogen receptors are present in monocyte-derived cells and that estrogens prevent and control the inflammatory response raise the question of the role that this sex steroid plays in the manifestation and progression of pathologies that have a clear sex difference in prevalence, such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease. The present review aims to provide a critical review of th

SUBMITTER: Villa A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4971309 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature