The mechanism of PI3K/AKT pathway in Alzheimer’s disease and the research progress of acupuncture intervention

Acupuncture has a definite effect on the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and its molecular mechanism has been studied more and more deeply. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) signaling pathway is mainly involved in the regulation of cell proliferation, apoptosis, autophagy and synaptic plasticity, and plays an important role in the occurrence and development of AD. In this paper, we reviewed the role of PI3K/AKT pathway in the pathogenesis of AD and the mechanism of acupuncture intervention, and concluded that the abnormal expression of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway can lead to imbalance of cellular oxidative defense system, impairment of mitochondrial structure and function synaptic destruction, abnormal autophagy and energy metabolism disorders, and acupuncture can improve oxidative stress damage, enhance synaptic plasticity, regulate autophagic activity and regulate energy metabolism by regulating PI3K/AKT signaling pathway to cure AD.