The Role of Neurotransmitter Receptors on Microglia in Alzheimer’s Disease

AD (Alzheimer’s disease) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by accumulation of misfolded proteins in neurons, which affects the normal functions of neurons and finally leads to cognitive decline in the aged people. Microglia is a major kind of immune cells and plays neuroprotective or neurotoxic roles according to its different states in CNS. Various neurotransmitter receptors express in microglia and mediate the bidirectional communication between microglia and neurons, and dysregulation of these receptors also play different roles in the pathogenesis of AD. This article reviewed the GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) receptors, glutamatergic receptors, cannabinoid receptors, cholinergic receptors, and adrenergic receptors on microglia cells and the roles they played by influencing the signal transmission between microglia and neurons in AD. Elucidating the mechanism of neurotransmitter receptors on microglia in AD will provide important insights for explorating appropriate therapeutic targets for AD.