脳障害と治療

概要

A Double-edged Sword: Uric Acid and Neurological Disorders

Pu Fang, Xinyuan Li, Jin Jun Luo, Hong Wang and Xiao-feng Yang

Uric Acid (UA), historically considered as a waste of cellular metabolism, has now received increasing attention because it was found to directly participate in the pathogenesis of many human diseases including neurological disorders. On one hand, low levels of UA are detrimental to the neurons because of its induction of an impaired antioxidant capacity in the cell. High levels of UA, on the other hand, lead to an inflammatory response contributing to gout or neuroprotection. In this review, we summarize this biphasic function of uric acid and highlight potential therapeutic targets to treat UA-related neurological diseases.