Effects of a high-fat diet on cognition and brain distribution of intranasal insulin in E3 and E4 male and female mice.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to investigate the effects of intranasal insulin on cognitive performance and brain insulin distribution in a humanized mouse model with genetic (E3/E4), dietary (HFD), and sex-based risk factors for Alzheimer's disease.
Results Summary
Intranasal insulin showed beneficial effects on memory, particularly in mice on a high-fat diet, and insulin distribution in the brain was largely unaffected by genotype or diet. The study also found genotype, diet, and their interaction effects on anxiety-related tasks.
Population
Humanized mice expressing E3 or E4 apolipoprotein genotypes, fed a high-fat diet, and separated by sex.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Intranasal (INL) insulin | increase | cognition | AD | - | enhances | #1 |
High-fat diet (HFD) | decrease | survival | male mice | - | had a negative effect on | #2 |
genotype, diet, and genotype x diet | neutral | anxiety-related tasks | humanized mouse model (expressing E3 or E4) | - | effects in | #3 |
INL insulin | increase | memory tests | humanized mouse model (expressing E3 or E4) | - | beneficial effects of | #4 |
INL insulin | increase | - | mice on a HFD | - | beneficial effect of | #5 |
INL insulin | no change | insulin distribution | susceptible groups (genotype, diet) | - | distribution throughout the brain after INL delivery was largely unaffected by | #6 |
There are genetic and environmental risk factors that contribute to the development of cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Some of these include the genetic predisposition of the apolipoprotein E4 genotype, consuming a high-fat diet (HFD), and the female sex. Brain insulin receptor resistance and deficiency have also been shown to be associated with AD and cognitive impairment. Intranasal (INL) insulin enhances cognition in AD, but the response varies due to genotype, diet, and sex. We investigated here the combination of these risk factors in a humanized mouse model, expressing E3 or E4, following a HFD in males and females on cognitive performance and the brain distribution of insulin following INL delivery. The HFD had a negative effect on survival in male mice only, requiring sex to be collapsed. We found many genotype, diet, and genotype x diet effects in anxiety-related tasks. We further found beneficial effects of INL insulin in our memory tests, with the most important findings showing a beneficial effect of INL insulin in mice on a HFD. We found insulin distribution throughout the brain after INL delivery was largely unaffected by diet and genotype, indicating these susceptible groups can still receive adequate levels of insulin following INL delivery. Our findings support the involvement of brain insulin signaling in cognition and highlight continuing efforts investigating mechanisms resulting from treatment with INL insulin.