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A high-sugar high-fat diet induced metabolic syndrome shows some symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease in rats

  • Published:
The journal of nutrition, health & aging

Abstract

Objectives

Cases of sporadic Alzheimer’s disease (SAD) are the predominant form of the age-related dementia. New evidence suggests that metabolic syndrome (MS), a metabolic disorder, is an initiating factor of some SAD cases. A high-sugar high-fat diet could cause MS, we aimed to investigate whether it could directly lead to SAD.

Measurements

The characteristic molecules of AD (hippocampus Aβ and Tau) were tested by using ELISA and western blotting to confirm the happening hallmarks of AD in brain. MS and inflammation related biochemical indicators were measured using immunological method. Proteins associated with the insulin resistance signal pathway (JNK, PI-3K, AKT, GSK-3β, GLUT3) were evaluated using western blotting method. The levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured by immunofluorescence method.

Results

Expressions of hippocampus Aβ, phosphorylation-Tau (p-Tau), inflammatory factors and p-JNK, Gsk-3βwere higher in the model rats than those in the control rats and expressions of p-PI3K, p-AKT and GLUT3 were reversed.

Conclusions

The MS model animals, which can induce the characteristics symptoms of AD, and therefore it may be preliminarily considered that the AD pertains to the MS-related diseases.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Basic Medical Science, Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi, China

    L. Niu & X. Zhou

  2. Institute of Liver Disease, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, China

    L. Niu, D. W. Han, R. L. Xu & X. Zhou

  3. Mental Health Department of the First Hospital, Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi, 030001, China

    B. Han

  4. Research Center of Fenyang College, Shanxi Medical University, Fenyang, 032299, China

    H. W. Wu

  5. Department of Pathology, Shanxi Provincial Tumor Hospital, Taiyuan, 030013, China

    S. H. Li

  6. Department of Pathology, People’s Hospital of Shanxi Province, Shanxi, 030012, China

    C. X. Qu

  7. School of Basic Medical Science, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, China

    M. Liu

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  1. L. Niu
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  4. B. Han
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to D. W. Han.

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Niu, L., Han, D., Xu, R.L. et al. A high-sugar high-fat diet induced metabolic syndrome shows some symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease in rats. J Nutr Health Aging 20, 509–513 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-015-0601-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-015-0601-1

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