Role of de novo lipogenesis in inflammation and insulin resistance in alzheimer's disease

Patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) display both peripheral tissue and brain insulin resistance, the later could be a potential risk factor for cognitive dysfunction. While certain degree of inflammation is required for inducing insulin resistance, underlying mechanism(s) remains unclear. Evidence from diverse research domains suggest that elevated intracellular fatty acids of de novo pathway can induce insulin resistance even without triggering inflammation; however, the effect of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) could be detrimental due the development of proinflammatory cues. In this context, evidence suggest that while lipid/fatty acid accumulation is a characteristic feature of brain pathology in AD, dysregulated de novo lipogenesis could be a potential source for lipid/fatty acid accumulation. Therefore, therapies aimed at regulating de novo lipogenesis could be effective in improving insulin sensitivity and cognitive function in patients with AD.

Recent Development in the Understanding of Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms Underlying the Etiopathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that leads to dementia and patient death. AD is characterized by intracellular neurofibrillary tangles, extracellular amyloid beta (Aβ) plaque deposition, and neurodegeneration. Diverse alterations have been associated with AD progression, including genetic mutations, neuroinflammation, blood-brain barrier (BBB) impairment, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and metal ion imbalance.Additionally, recent studies have shown an association between altered heme metabolism and AD. Unfortunately, decades of research and drug development have not produced any effective treatments for AD. Therefore, understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying AD pathology and identifying potential therapeutic targets are crucial for AD drug development. This review discusses the most common alterations associated with AD and promising therapeutic targets for AD drug discovery. Furthermore, it highlights the role of heme in AD development and summarizes mathematical models of AD, including a stochastic mathematical model of AD and mathematical models of the effect of Aβ on AD. We also summarize the potential treatment strategies that these models can offer in clinical trials.

The Interaction Between NF-κB and Estrogen in Alzheimer's Disease

Post-menopausal women are at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) than males. The higher rates of AD in women are associated with the sharp decline in the estrogen levels after menopause. Estrogen has been shown to downregulate inflammatory cytokines in the central nervous system (CNS), which has a neuroprotective role against neurodegenerative diseases including AD. Sustained neuroinflammation is associated with neurodegeneration and contributes to AD. Nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) is a transcription factor involved with the modulation of inflammation and interacts with estrogen to influence the progression of AD. Application of 17β-estradiol (E2) has been shown to inhibit NF-κB, thereby reducing transcription of NF-κB target genes. Despite accumulating evidence showing that estrogens have beneficial effects in pre-clinical AD studies, there are mixed results with hormone replacement therapy in clinical trials. Furthering our understanding of how NF-κB interacts with estrogen and alters the progression of neurodegenerative disorders including AD, should be beneficial and result in the development of novel therapeutics.

The Molecular Effects of Environmental Enrichment on Alzheimer's Disease

Environmental enrichment (EE) is an environmental paradigm encompassing sensory, cognitive, and physical stimulation at a heightened level. Previous studies have reported the beneficial effects of EE in the brain, particularly in the hippocampus. EE improves cognitive function as well as ameliorates depressive and anxiety-like behaviors, making it a potentially effective neuroprotective strategy against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we summarize the current evidence for EE as a neuroprotective strategy as well as the potential molecular pathways that can explain the effects of EE from a biochemical perspective using animal models. The effectiveness of EE in enhancing brain activity against neurodegeneration is explored with a view to differences present in early and late life EE exposure, with its potential application in human being discussed. We discuss EE as one of the non pharmacological approaches in preventing or delaying the onset of AD for future research.