Formyl peptide receptor 2 antagonist WRW4 ameliorates diabetes-induced cognitive decline in mice

Abstract

Cognitive impairment is a significant complication of diabetes. Although the detailed mechanism remains unclear, prolonged neuroinflammation mediated by microglia is recognized as a key contributor to neural dysfunction. Recent studies have shown that Formyl peptide receptor 1 (FPR1), a G protein-coupled chemoattractant receptor, plays a role in microglial activation and brain pathology. However, the involvement of FPR2, another isoform within the FPR family, in microglial activation and cognitive decline has not yet been explored. In this study, we observed an increased expression of FPR2 in microglia within the hippocampus of type 2 diabetes (db/db) mice. Furthermore, we demonstrated that intracerebroventricular administration of WRW4, a selective FPR2 antagonist, alleviates diabetes-related cognitive decline. Histological analysis revealed that WRW4 treatment mitigates morphological alteration and upregulation of a phagocytic marker (CD68) of the microglia in the hippocampus of db/db mice. These results indicate that FPR2 plays a critical role in inducing diabetes-related microglial phenotype. These findings highlight the therapeutic potential of FPR2 signal inhibition as a novel strategy to mitigate cognitive decline associated with diabetes.