PIEZO1 and Alzheimer disease: For example, studies have proven that astrocytes respond to the mechanical stimuli of amyloid plaques deposition by upregulating the mechanosensitive channel Piezo1, which seemed to cause the release of intracellular Ca2+ ions and the inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokine release in AD rat models (TgF344-AD) (Figure 3b) [199,200].