THE ROLE OF GALECTINS IN INFLAMMATION AND MYELINATION IN COGNITIVE DYSFUNCTIONS OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18616/inova.v14i5.8583

Abstract

Neurological disorders (NDs) have been growing alongside aging and global population increase, posing a challenge to the public health system. NDs involve synaptic and molecular dysfunctions that impair cognition, memory, and learning. Galectins (gal) are potential modulators of neuroinflammation with neurological expression. Therefore, the objective is to understand the association between galectins, molecular and cellular pathways in the pathophysiology of NDs. A narrative review was conducted on the databases Pubmed, LILACS, and Scielo, using the keywords "galectins" and "cognition" in English and Portuguese. 23 in vivo, in vitro, and post-mortem studies were included in this review. In Alzheimer's Disease (AD), renal ischemia/reperfusion (IR), HIV, cerebral malaria, and schizophrenia, several studies showed a significant increased or decreased expression of gal-3, gal-9, gal-8, and gal-1, along with pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory, neurodegenerative, and synaptic markers. In AD, obstructive sleep apnea, and IR, the silencing or pharmacological inhibition of gal-3 attenuated neuroinflammation and neuronal apoptosis, provided protection against neurotoxicity, and improved cognitive impairment. In ischemia, the administration of gal-3 generated remyelinatio and attenuated cognitive deficits. It was concluded that galectins -1, -3, -4, -8, and -9 modulate neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative processes present in cognitive dysfunctions of NDs, making them potential therapeutic targets. 

Keywords: galectins; cognition; neurophysiology; inflammation; myelin. 

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Published

2024-06-28