Acute high glucose exposure impairs synaptosomal vesicle release activity.

Abstract

Background: Increasing evidence indicates an association between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and diabetes. AD and diabetic brains share a hyperglycemic phenotype, making it a plausible mechanistic link between the two diseases. The vacuolar-type ATPase (V-ATPase) is essential for neurotransmitter concentration in synaptic vesicles and subsequent neuronal transmission. However, its role in AD pathogenesis is unclear.

Objectives: We sought to examine whether acute hyperglycemic exposure would alter synaptic vesicular exocytosis and V-ATPase function in synaptosomes freshly extracted from wildtype mouse brains.

Methods: Synaptic exocytosis was studied by analyzing the synaptosomal release of the fluorescent dye acridine orange (AO) and the neurotransmitter glutamate. Synaptic V-ATPase activity was assessed by measuring V-ATPase assembly using co-immunoprecipitation and V-ATPase-released phosphates.

Results: Acute hyperglycemia reduced synaptic vesicular exocytosis as indicated by attenuated AO and glutamate release. Moreover, acute hyperglycemia reduced synaptic V-ATPase assembly but not V-ATPase-released phosphates.

Conclusions: The present work demonstrates that hyperglycemia can impair synaptic vesicular exocytosis, partially by reducing V-ATPase assembly. We hypothesize that these molecular changes can be a shared mechanistic contributor to synaptic dysfunction in AD and diabetes. Further studies are needed to investigate the impact of chronic hyperglycemia and glycolytic metabolism on synaptic vesicular activity and V-ATPase function in animal models of AD and diabetes.