title: Rapamycin and mTOR inhibitors probably have therapeutic effects for post-operative cognitive dysfunction.
abstract: Several lines of evidence have indicated that rapamycin acts as an inhibitor of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and this produces therapeutic benefits as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease (AD) by activating an autophagic pathway. Similarly, postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a decline in cognitive function for weeks or months after surgery. POCD and AD are both characterized by cognitive dysfunction, and more importantly, are both related to aging. We therefore hypothesized that rapamycin may have a therapeutic effect to relieve POCD. Inhibition of mTOR induces autophagic effect, thereby leading to a slower aging process, so this would be a novel target for the prevention and treatment of POCD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of SooChow University, Changzhou, PR China.
authors.forename: Chun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Jiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Tingting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Zhangjun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hong
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D020123:Sirolimus / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
chemical_list: C546842:MTOR protein, human; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; D020123:Sirolimus