Daniel Moreira-Silva , Melike Yuksel , Moorthi Ponnusamy , Mitchell T. Hansen , Joseph D. McMillan , Sneha Geethakrishnan , Shuai Wang , Lisa A. Collier , Gopal Thinakaran
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
The aggregation of the peptide hormone amylin in the pancreas is a pathological hallmark of type-2 diabetes. Additionally, amylin can form aggregates in the brain, promoting β-amyloid deposition and tau phosphorylation in Alzheimer's disease. The cross-seeding between amylin and tau exacerbates tau pathology spread and synaptic loss, leading to neurodegeneration and cognitive deficits. Given the link between lysosomal dysfunction and tauopathy in the brain and amylin aggregation in the pancreas, we hypothesized that amylin could potentially worsen tau pathology in diabetic mice. We administered streptozotocin and/or amylin peripherally to the PS19 model of tauopathy at 3 months and characterized them at 6 months of age. We found that streptozotocin diminished body weight gain, increased blood glucose levels, worsened motor performance, and improved fear-conditioned memory in PS19 mice. Both amylin and streptozotocin administration prompted the emergence of tau pathology in the pancreas, which coincided with a decrease in the number of lysosomes in pancreatic islets. Mice treated with amylin and streptozotocin also developed robust tau pathology concomitant with lowering lysosomal cathepsin D levels in the visual cortex. These findings suggest that in diabetic mice, amylin administration diminished pancreatic lysosomes, possibly increasing the number of amylin aggregates that reached the brain and contributing to the worsening of tau pathology due to lysosomal impairment in the visual cortex. The outcome of our research enhances the understanding of the cellular pathways by which amylin may serve as a link between the pancreas-brain axis during diabetes, influencing the risk of developing tau pathology.
期刊介绍:
Genes & Diseases is an international journal for molecular and translational medicine. The journal primarily focuses on publishing investigations on the molecular bases and experimental therapeutics of human diseases. Publication formats include full length research article, review article, short communication, correspondence, perspectives, commentary, views on news, and research watch.
Aims and Scopes
Genes & Diseases publishes rigorously peer-reviewed and high quality original articles and authoritative reviews that focus on the molecular bases of human diseases. Emphasis will be placed on hypothesis-driven, mechanistic studies relevant to pathogenesis and/or experimental therapeutics of human diseases. The journal has worldwide authorship, and a broad scope in basic and translational biomedical research of molecular biology, molecular genetics, and cell biology, including but not limited to cell proliferation and apoptosis, signal transduction, stem cell biology, developmental biology, gene regulation and epigenetics, cancer biology, immunity and infection, neuroscience, disease-specific animal models, gene and cell-based therapies, and regenerative medicine.