Effect of high dietary sugar and metformin in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) starts with toxic changes in the brain disrupting healthy processes and leading to loss of neurons. Dietary sugar can adversely affect health by contributing to inflammation in the body and in the brain (Beilharz, Maniam & Morris, 2015). AD has been referred to as Type 3 diabetes because of the insulin resistance developed in the brain (Kim & Feldman, 2015; Steen et al., 2005; de la Monte, 2009). Conversely, metformin demonstrates beneficial effects, such as anti-inflammatory, increased neurogenesis, enhanced cognition and extended life expectancy (Wang et al., 2012; Saisho, 2015; Martin-Montalvo, et al., 2013). The theory of current study is that disrupted sugar metabolism can create insulin resistance and exacerbate AD pathology. It is hypothesized that high dietary sugar may aggravate AD pathology, while metformin could ameliorate AD. Histology results indicated that sugar increased plaque deposition and inflammation in the brain, while sugar with metformin decreased it.