There is growing evidence that obesity associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and aging are risk factors for the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the molecular mechanisms through which obesity interacts with β-amyloid (Aβ) to promote cognitive decline remains poorly understood. Memantine (MEM), a N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, is currently used for the treatment of AD. Nonetheless, few studies have reported its effects on genetic preclinical models of this neurodegenerative disease exacerbated with high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity. Therefore, the present research aims to elucidate the effects of MEM on familial AD HFD-induced insulin resistance and learning and memory impairment. Furthermore, it aspires to determine the possible underlying mechanisms that connect AD to T2DM. Wild type and APPswe/PS1dE9 mice were used in this study. The animals were fed with either chow or HFD until 6 months of age, and they were treated with MEM-supplemented water (30 mg/kg) during the last 12 weeks. Our study demonstrates that MEM improves the metabolic consequences produced by HFD in this model of familial AD. Behavioural assessments confirmed that the treatment also improves animals learning abilities and decreases memory loss. Moreover, MEM treatment improves brain insulin signalling upregulating AKT, as well as cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element binding (CREB) expression, and modulates the amyloidogenic pathway, which, in turn, reduced the accumulation of Aβ. Moreover, this drug increases the activation of molecules involved with insulin signalling in the liver, such as insulin receptor substrate 2 (IRS2), which is a key protein regulating hepatic resistance to insulin. These results provide new insight into the role of MEM not only in the occurrence of AD treatment, but also in its potential application on peripheral metabolic disorders where Aβ plays a key role, as is the case of T2DM.
Keywords: APPswe/PS1dE9; Alzheimer’s disease; Diabetes; High-fat diet; Memantine; Obesity.