Abstract
Background Blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunctions have been implicated in the development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Cerebral endothelial cells (CECs) and astrocytes are the main cell components of the BBB. Although amyloid-b oligomers have been reported to mediate oxidative damage to the CECs and astrocytes and trigger the downstream MAPK/ERK pathway, the cell surface binding site for Ab and exact sequence of these events have yet to be elucidated. In this study, the receptor for advanced glycation endproducts (RAGE) was postulated to function as a signal transducing cell surface receptor for Ab to induce ROS generation from NADPH oxidase and trigger downstream pathways for the phosphorylation of extracellular-signal-regulated kinases (ERK1/2) and cytosolic phosphorilase A2 (cPLA2).