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Ketogenic Diet-Induced Alterations in Neuronal Signaling-Related Proteins are Not Due to Differences in Synaptosome Protein Levels.

Molecular neurobiology
April 29, 2025
Rachel Fletcher et al. (5 authors)
Journal ArticleAnimal Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to determine whether a ketogenic diet (KD) reverses age-related cognitive decline by examining synaptic protein changes in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of aging rats.

Results Summary

The study found that KD did not significantly alter synaptic protein levels in isolated synaptosomes but disrupted natural protein correlations seen in control-fed rats. KD also altered the excitatory/inhibitory synaptic vesicle ratio in the prefrontal cortex but not the hippocampus.

Population

Aging rats

Effective Dosage

Not specified

Duration

Minimum of 4 months

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (10)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
ketogenic diets (KDs)
neutral
several neurological and peripheral disorders, including diseases profoundly affecting cognitive health
-
-
have now been widely used for the treatment of
#1
a KD
increase
cognitive function
aging rats
-
improves
#2
a KD
increase
global levels of proteins related to synaptic signaling
aging rats
-
increases
#3
a KD
no change
the signaling proteins measured
aging rats
no significant differences
did not show significant differences
#4
a KD
neutral
pre-mortem performance on an Object-Place Paired Association task
CD-fed aged rats
-
found a significant correlation between several proteins
#5
a KD
decrease
significant correlation between several proteins within the HPC and PFC synaptosomes
KD-fed rats from both age groups
-
conspicuously absent
#6
dietary intervention
increase
VGAT/VGluT1, markers of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic vesicles
-
-
significant alteration in the ratio
#7
dietary intervention
no change
significant alteration in the ratio of VGAT/VGluT1
-
-
absent
#8
KD
increase
synaptic abundance
-
-
likely increase
#9
KD
no change
the biochemical composition of isolated synapses
-
-
without altering
#10
Abstract

Impaired cognitive function is a hallmark of advancing age, and the potential to reverse or delay these cognitive deficits through dietary intervention holds promise for improving quality of life for older adults. Specifically, ketogenic diets (KDs) have now been widely used for the treatment of several neurological and peripheral disorders, including diseases profoundly affecting cognitive health, of which advanced age is the single greatest risk factor. However, the precise mechanisms of the efficacy of KD-based interventions to reverse age-related cognitive and neurobiological declines are not fully elucidated. We have previously demonstrated that a KD improves cognitive function, with concurrent increases in global levels of proteins related to synaptic signaling in the aging hippocampus (HPC) and prefrontal cortex (PFC). Despite these advances, it remains unclear as to whether these changes reflect biochemical modifications specifically localized to synaptic terminals. To address this important, unanswered question, we purified synaptosomes from the HPC and PFC of aging rats fed a KD or control diet (CD) for a minimum of 4 months and quantified 10 proteins related to synaptic transmission. In contrast to previous studies of global protein expression, the signaling proteins measured did not show significant differences between diet groups in synaptosomes isolated from either region. When pre-mortem performance on an Object-Place Paired Association task was considered, we found a significant correlation between several proteins within the HPC and PFC synaptosomes of CD-fed rats, more pronounced in CD-fed aged rats, that are conspicuously absent in KD-fed rats from both age groups. Moreover, there is a significant alteration in the ratio of VGAT/VGluT1, markers of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic vesicles, in the PFC with dietary intervention that is absent in the HPC, confirming prior reports of regionally specific alterations in excitatory and inhibitory signaling post KD. These new and extended findings reveal important, naturally occurring associations between protein levels localized to synaptic terminals, while clarifying that effects KD likely increase synaptic abundance without altering the biochemical composition of isolated synapses.

Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy65/10
Quality75/10
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.05
Weight Score1.25
Normalized Score0.61
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Ketogenic Diet-Induced Alterations in Neuronal Signaling-Rel... | Panacea Index