Habitually consuming a diet high in fat and calories has a direct relationship with obesity and type 2 diabetes and, now, a research team led by the Rovira i Virgili University (URV) has discovered the mechanism that relates the fact of consuming this diet with Alzheimer's. The research, led by the professor of the Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology Mònica Bulló, the Nutrition and Metabolic Health research group (NuMeH) and the Center for Environmental, Food and Toxicological Technology (TecnATox) of the URV, has focused on seeing how this Diet affects molecules found in the blood and other tissues such as the brain, and which act as markers and regulators of the disease.
The research was carried out in a mouse model that develops Alzheimer's disease in adulthood. Previous studies in these animals had already shown that after following a diet rich in fat they ended up developing the disease much earlier than those who had a conventional diet. What was not known were the mechanisms that triggered the progression of the disease, and now they have been resolved.
To do this, the research team analyzed the expression of 15 microRNAs (miRNAs), small RNA molecules that play a crucial role in genetic regulation, both in plasma and brain tissues. Changes in insulin-related microRNAs were examined in mouse models predisposed to Alzheimer's and not on a high-fat diet, especially a saturated type.
The results, which have been published in the journal Nutrients, showed that their metabolism worsened after following this diet for six months with a significant increase in body weight and a worse response to glucose and insulin, which are characteristics similar to obesity. and type 2 diabetes in people.
Furthermore, an alteration of several microRNAs was observed in both the blood and the brain. These changes were related to processes that can damage the brain, such as the accumulation of B-amyloid plaques (protein clumps that form in the brain and serve as markers for Alzheimer's); excessive production of the protein table (which, when uncontrolled, can damage brain cells) and inflammation within the brain, which is also linked to this disease.
"The results obtained in this study represent an advance in the knowledge of the mechanism that would explain the relationship between obesity, type 2 diabetes and the development of Alzheimer's. In addition, they offer new targets for the possible prevention and treatment of the disease," points out the researcher Mònica Bulló.
The study, carried out in collaboration with the Pere Virgili Health Research Institute (IISPV), CIBERobn and the University of Barcelona, not only provides new data on how a diet rich in fat can affect brain health but also opens the door to future research on dietary strategies as a possible way to treat Alzheimer's. The results underline the importance of a balanced diet for the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases and highlight the potential of microRNAs as targets for therapeutic interventions.
