Amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide, which is generated from proteolytic cleavage of amyloid precursor protein (APP), is a key molecule involved in the pathology of Alzheimer disease. Both APP and Aβ peptides are expressed in adipose tissue, however it is currently unclear whether Aβ can affect the key functions of adipose tissue. We aimed to explore whether Aβ affected lipolysis and adipokine secretion in cultured human adipose tissue. We found that Aβ25-35, which contains the main functional domain of the Aβ, stimulated lipolysis via PKA and ERK1/2-dependent pathways and that Aβ25-35 induced leptin and IL-6 secretion. It is concluded that Aβ peptide exerts functional effects on adipose tissue that may lead to increased release of free fatty acids and pro-inflammatory adipokines.
Keywords: adipokine; adipose tissue; amyloid-β peptide; inflammation; lipolysis.