Study reveals mechanism that links high-fat diet to Alzheimer’s disease

The results of this study, conducted by URV, represent an advance in explaining the relationship between obesity, type 2 diabetes and this disease.

A research team led by the University of Rovira e Virgili (URV) has discovered a mechanism that links eating a diet rich in saturated fats to Alzheimer’s disease. Research has focused on seeing how this diet affects molecules found in the blood and other tissues, such as the brain, that act as markers and regulators of disease. The study was conducted by Professor Monica Boullo of the Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, the Research Group on Nutrition and Metabolic Health (NuMeH) and the URV Center for Environmental, Food and Toxicological Technologies (TecnATox) in collaboration.

in collaboration with the Pere Virgili Health Research Institute (IIISPV), CIBERobn and the University of Barcelona. The results were published in the journal Nutrients.

The study was conducted on a mouse model that develops Alzheimer’s disease in adulthood. Previous studies on these animals had already shown that after eating a diet rich in fat, they developed the disease much earlier than those who followed a traditional diet. What was unknown were the mechanisms that triggered the progression of the disease, and they have now been uncovered.

To do this, the research team analyzed the expression of 15 microRNAs (miRNAs), small RNA molecules that play critical roles in genetic regulation, in both plasma and brain tissue. Changes in insulin-related microRNAs were examined in mouse models susceptible to Alzheimer’s disease rather than on a high-fat diet, especially a saturated diet.

The results showed that after following this diet for six months, their metabolism deteriorated, with significant weight gain and a worse response to glucose and insulin, characteristics of which are similar to obesity and type 2 diabetes in humans.

. Moreover, changes in several microRNAs were observed in both the blood and brain. These changes have been associated with processes that can damage the brain, such as the accumulation of β-amyloid plaques (protein clumps that form in the brain and serve as markers of Alzheimer’s disease); excessive production of protein table (which, if left unchecked, can damage brain cells) and inflammation in the brain, which is also associated with this disease.

“The results obtained in this study represent progress in understanding the mechanism that could explain the relationship between obesity, type 2 diabetes and the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Moreover, they open up new targets for possible prevention and treatment of the disease,” says researcher Monica Boullo.

The study not only provides new evidence about how a high-fat diet may affect brain health, but also opens the door for future research into dietary strategies as a possible treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.

The results highlight the importance of a balanced diet for the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases and highlight the potential of miRNAs as targets for therapeutic interventions.

Bibliographic link: Rojas-Criollo, M.; Novau-Ferre, N.; Gutiérrez-Tordera, L.; Etcheto, M.; Folch, J.; Papandreou, K.; Panisello, L.; Kano, A.; Mostafa, H.; Mateu-Fabregat, J.; and others. Effects of a high-fat diet on insulin-like microRNAs in plasma and brain tissue in APPSwe/PS1dE9 and wild-type C57BL/6J mice. Nutrients 2024, 16, 955. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16070955.