Glucose has many diverse physiological roles such as energy metabolism, appetite control and memory consolidation. We recently reported that memory-related gene expression is epigenetically controlled in murine brain cells and that glucose can regulate gene expression in a cell-specific manner. However, the literature reviews have indicated that glucose can also regulate gut cells to release incretins which might play a role in memory processes directly or indirectly by vagus nerve stimulation. In this review, we discussed the effects of glucose on the gut and brain, aiming to understand more in-depth the role of glucose in memory function. In addition, we also discussed the alteration of glucose-signaling in type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and a possible link to Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathologies.
Keywords: BDNF; Epigenetics; FGF-1; Glucose; Incretins; Memory; Vagus nerve.
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