Alzheimer Disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder and the most common form of dementia. Histopathologically is characterized by the presence of two major hallmarks, the intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) and extracellular neuritic plaques (NPs) surrounded by activated astrocytes and microglia. NFTs consist of paired helical filaments of truncated tau protein that is abnormally hyperphosphorylated. The main component in the NP is the amyloid-β peptide (Aβ), a small fragment of 40–42 amino acids with a molecular weight of 4 kD. It has been proposed that the amyloid aggregates and microglia activation are able to favor the neurodegenerative process observed in AD patients. However, the role of inflammation in AD is controversial, because in early stages the inflammation could have a beneficial role in the pathology, since it has been thought that the microglia and astrocytes activated could be involved in Aβ clearance. Nevertheless the chronic activation of the microglia has been related with an increase of Aβ and possibly with tau phosphorylation. Studies in AD brains have shown an upregulation of complement molecules, pro-inflammatory cytokines, acute phase reactants and other inflammatory mediators that could contribute with the neurodegenerative process. Clinical trials and animal models with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) indicate that these drugs may decrease the risk of developing AD and apparently reduce Aβ deposition. Finally, further studies are needed to determine whether treatment with anti-inflammatory strategies, may decrease the neurodegenerative process that affects these patients.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia present in older adults; its etiology involves genetic and environmental factors. In recent years, epidemiological studies have shown a correlation between AD and chronic epilepsy since a considerable number of patients with AD may present seizures later on. Although the pathophysiology of seizures in AD is not completely understood, it could represent the result of several molecular mechanisms linked to amyloid beta-peptide (Aβ) accumulation and the hyperphosphorylation of tau protein, which may induce an imbalance in the release and recapture of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters, structural alterations of the neuronal cytoskeleton, synaptic loss, and neuroinflammation. These changes could favor the recurrent development of hypersynchronous discharges and epileptogenesis, which, in a chronic state, favor the neurodegenerative process and influence the cognitive decline observed in AD. Supporting this correlation, histopathological studies in the brain tissue of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) patients have revealed the presence of Aβ deposits and the accumulation of tau protein in the neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), accompanied by an increase of glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK3β) activity that may lead to an imminent alteration in posttranslational modifications of some microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs), mainly tau. The present review is focused on understanding the pathological aspects of GSK3β and tau in the development of TLE and AD.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a major neurodegenerative disease affecting the elderly. Clinically, it is characterized by a progressive loss of memory and cognitive function. Neuropathologically, it is characterized by the presence of extracellularβ-amyloid (Aβ) deposited as neuritic plaques (NP) and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) made of abnormal and hyperphosphorylated tau protein. These lesions are capable of generating the neuronal damage that leads to cell death and cognitive failure through the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Evidence indicates the critical role of Aβmetabolism in prompting the oxidative stress observed in AD patients. However, it has also been proposed that oxidative damage precedes the onset of clinical and pathological AD symptoms, including amyloid-βdeposition, neurofibrillary tangle formation, vascular malfunction, metabolic syndrome, and cognitive decline. This paper provides a brief description of the three main proteins associated with the development of the disease (Aβ, tau, and ApoE) and describes their role in the generation of oxidative stress. Finally, we describe the mitochondrial alterations that are generated by Aβand examine the relationship of vascular damage which is a potential prognostic tool of metabolic syndrome. In addition, new therapeutic approaches targeting ROS sources and metabolic support were reported.

Macrophages (Mϕ) can be differentiated and polarized in vitro from human CD14⁺ monocytes under the influence of GM-CSF (GM-Mϕ) and M-CSF (M-Mϕ). GM-Mϕs are proinflammatory and M-Mϕs have an anti-inflammatory phenotype. We found selective expression of the lectin C-type lectin domain family 5 member A (CLEC5A) transcripts in GM-Mϕs and the scavenger receptor CD163 molecule-like 1 (CD163L1) in M-Mϕs by microarray assay. In vitro, CD163L1 expression was induced by IL-10 and M-CSF and CLEC5A by inflammatory cytokines and cell adherence. In secondary lymphoid organs, their respective expression was restricted to CD68⁺/CD163⁺ Mϕs that preferentially produced either TNF (CLEC5A⁺) or IL-10 (CD163L1⁺). Mϕs from healthy liver and colon tissue were mostly CD163L1⁺, and CLEC5A⁺ cells were scarce. In contrast, CLEC5A⁺ Mϕs were abundant in the intestinal lamina propria from patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with higher numbers of CLEC5A⁺CD163L1⁺ found compared with those in secondary lymphoid organs. CLEC5A⁺ cells were CD14⁺CD209⁻CD11b⁺CD11c⁺TNF⁺IL-10⁺, and single positive CD163L1⁺ cells were CD14⁻CD209⁺CD11b⁻CD11c⁻TNF⁻IL-10⁺ in healthy donors and had lost the ability to produce IL-10 and to express CD209 in those with IBD. In melanomas, CLEC5A⁺ tumor-associated Mϕs (TAMs) were not detected in 42% of the cases evaluated, but CD163L1⁺ TAMs were found in 100%. Similar to IBD, CD163L1⁺ TAMs expressed high levels of CD209 and produced significant amounts of IL-10, and CLEC5A⁺ TAMs were CD14^hi and produced enhanced levels of TNF in metastases. Overall, these results suggest that CD163L1 expression is associated with tissue-resident Mϕs with an anti-inflammatory or anergic phenotype and that CLEC5A⁺ Mϕs exhibit TNF-producing ability and might display a proinflammatory effect.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in elderly adults. It is estimated that 10% of the world’s population aged more than 60–65 years could currently be affected by AD, and that in the next 20 years, there could be more than 30 million people affected by this pathology. One of the great challenges in this regard is that AD is not just a scientific problem; it is associated with major psychosocial and ethical dilemmas and has a negative impact on national economies. The neurodegenerative process that occurs in AD involves a specific nervous cell dysfunction, which leads to neuronal death. Mutations in APP, PS1, and PS2 genes are causes for early onset AD. Several animal models have demonstrated that alterations in these proteins are able to induce oxidative damage, which in turn favors the development of AD. This paper provides a review of many, although not all, of the mutations present in patients with familial Alzheimer’s disease and the association between some of these mutations with both oxidative damage and the development of the pathology.