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Cholinesterases as Biomarkers for Parasympathetic Dysfunction and Inflammation-Related Disease

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Abstract

Accumulating evidence suggests parasympathetic dysfunction and elevated inflammation as underlying processes in multiple peripheral and neurological diseases. Acetylcholine, the main parasympathetic neurotransmitter and inflammation regulator, is hydrolyzed by the two closely homologous enzymes, acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase (AChE and BChE, respectively), which are also expressed in the serum. Here, we consider the potential value of both enzymes as possible biomarkers in diseases associated with parasympathetic malfunctioning. We cover the modulations of cholinesterase activities in inflammation-related events as well as by cholinesterase-targeted microRNAs. We further discuss epigenetic control over cholinesterase gene expression and the impact of single-nucleotide polymorphisms on the corresponding physiological and pathological processes. In particular, we focus on measurements of circulation cholinesterases as a readily quantifiable readout for changes in the sympathetic/parasympathetic balance and the implications of changes in this readout in health and disease. Taken together, this cumulative know-how calls for expanding the use of cholinesterase activity measurements for both basic research and as a clinical assessment tool.

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Acknowledgments

S.S-T is grateful to the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Science for post-doctoral fellowship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Science and Department of Biological Chemistry, The Life Sciences Institute, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91904, Israel

    Shani Shenhar-Tsarfaty & Hermona Soreq

  2. Internal Medicine “E” and Neurology Departments, Tel Aviv Medical Center, affiliated to the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Shani Shenhar-Tsarfaty

  3. Internal Medicine “E” Department, Tel Aviv Medical Center, affiliated to the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Shlomo Berliner

  4. Neurology Department, Tel Aviv Medical Center, affiliated to the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Natan M. Bornstein

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  1. Shani Shenhar-Tsarfaty
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  2. Shlomo Berliner
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  3. Natan M. Bornstein
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  4. Hermona Soreq
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Correspondence to Hermona Soreq.

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Shenhar-Tsarfaty, S., Berliner, S., Bornstein, N.M. et al. Cholinesterases as Biomarkers for Parasympathetic Dysfunction and Inflammation-Related Disease. J Mol Neurosci 53, 298–305 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12031-013-0176-4

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