PIEZO1 and Alzheimer disease: In the present study, the age-dependent increases in Piezo1 channel expression measured in the prefrontal cortex, CA1 and DG of wild-type rats appeared predominantly neuronal whereas in the TgF344-AD rat model, peripheral infection and amyloid plaque pathology caused an upregulation of Piezo1 predominantly in reactive astrocytes, although concomitant increases in neurons and reactive microglia are also likely to occur.