Defective neuronal insulin sensitivity in PLB4 mice. (a) Simplified schematic showing insulin signalling. (b) Representative immunoblots of insulin-related markers in brain lysates from 8-month-old PLB4 and WT mice and (c) quantification of their relative expression. White bars, WT mice; black bars, PLB4 mice. Data are means + SEM normalised to WT values. *p < 0.05
Drugs used to treat diabetes could also be used to treat Alzheimer’s disease, and vice versa, according to new research from the University of Aberdeen. This is also the first study of its kind to show that Alzheimer’s disease can lead to diabetes, as opposed to diabetes occurring first as was previously thought. The study reports that Alzheimer’s Disease and type 2 diabetes are so closely related that drugs currently used to control glucose levels in diabetes may also alleviate the symptoms and progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
Dementia-related complications within the brain can also lead to changes in glucose handling and ultimately diabetes. This is contrary to what was previously thought – that diabetes begins with a malfunction in the pancreas or a high fat, high sugar diet. The teams were keen to investigate why the two diseases are so commonly found together in elderly patients. They developed a model of Alzheimer’s disease and were surprised to find that increased levels of a gene involved in the production of toxic proteins in the brain not only led to Alzheimer’s -like symptoms, but also to the development of diabetic complications.
Professor Platt said: “..around 80% of people with Alzheimer’s disease also have some form of diabetes or disturbed glucose metabolism. This is hugely relevant as Alzheimer’s is in the vast majority of cases not inherited, and lifestyle factors and comorbidities must therefore be to blame.
“This study provides a new therapeutic angle into Alzheimer’s disease and we now think that some of the compounds that are used for obesity and diabetic deregulation might potentially be beneficial for Alzheimer’s patients as well. The good news is that there are a number of new drugs available right now which we are testing to see if they would reverse both Alzheimer’s and diabetes symptoms. We will also be able to study whether new treatments developed for Alzheimer’s can improve both, the diabetic and cognitive symptoms.” http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-06/d-nlf062116.php
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