Abstract: Alzheimer's disease is a disease caused by a variety of CNS-degenerating factors, characterized by deposition of amyloid beta and hyperphosphorylation of tau protein. Estrogen can inhibit neuronal cell apoptosis by inhibiting the activity of caspase, regulating of Bax and Bcl-2 expression and the ratio, increasing the content of cAMP in hypothalamic neurons and glial cells, promoting the rapid cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) phosphorylation, influencing the N-methl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor expression in hippocampal cells. Estrogen also exerts direct protective effect on neuron cells by brain-derived neurotrophic factor and synaptophysin.

Key words: estrogen, phytoestrogen, Alzheimer's disease, neuronopathies