Fat cells altered by the Western diet play a key role in cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases
A team of scientists from Marshall University, in the United States, has published a study in iScience journal which clarifies the role of fat cells or adipocytes in cognitive impairment and neurodegenerative diseases.
This research in mice found that fat cells influence the body’s response to brain functions. This is why memory and cognition can deteriorate when fat tissue is altered. In other words, it is an explanation of why obesity is the cause of these neurodegenerative diseases.
Western diet induces oxidative stress, systemic inflammation and alters sodium-potassium pump function
The functioning of the brain is based on the transmission of electrical impulses between neurons. These impulses are based on the transmission of electrically charged sodium and potassium ions across the cell membrane. An enzyme is responsible for transport, called Na + / K + -ATPase, or more simply, sodium-potassium pump.
This enzyme also acts on all other cells in the body, including fat cells. If Na + / K + -ATPase is unregulated, it affects the expression of certain proteins in fat cells and the hippocampus. This can affect brain function and lead to neurodegeneration. The solution would be to direct fat cells to decrease Na + / K + -ATPase activity.
The main author of the study, Komal Sodhi, explained that the Western diet induces oxidative stress and adipocyte alteration through Na + / K + -ATPase signaling. This causes systemic inflammation and affects the brain’s biochemistry and behavior.
Will it work with humans?
The researchers used genetically engineered mice as a model in which the peptide NaKtide, a protein, was released into their adipocytes or fat cells. They found that NaKtide prevented the signaling function of Na + / K + -ATPase. This prevented the appearance of neurodegenerative markers.
The authors found that the function of the hippocampus, the part of the brain associated with memory and cognition, improved with the expression of the peptide NaKtide. Altered protein markers for memory and cognition decreased in the hippocampus, and oxidative stress due to inflammatory cytokines decreased.
According to another author, Joseph I Shapiro, their goal is to demonstrate that Na + / K + -ATPase signaling in adipocytes plays a central role in inducing changes in specific brain regions. This happens mainly in the hippocampus, which is critical for memory and cognitive function.
The next step is to find out whether these findings can be confirmed in humans, which would allow the development of drugs that delay neurodegenerative diseases.
REFERENCE
Role of Adipocyte Na, K-ATPase Oxidant Amplification Loop in Cognitive Decline and Neurodegeneration