Effects of high‐fat diet on nutrient metabolism and cognitive functions in young APPKINL‐G‐F/NL‐G‐F mice

Abstract

Abstract Aim Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is an increased risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD); however, the relationship between the 2 conditions is controversial. High‐fat diet (HFD) causes cognitive impairment with/without Aβ accumulation in middle‐aged or aged transgenic (Tg) and knock‐in (KI) AD mouse models, except for metabolic disorders, which commonly occur in all mice types. Alternatively, whether HFD in early life has an impact on nutrient metabolism and neurological phenotypes in young AD mouse models is not known. In the present study, we examined the effects of HFD on young APPKINL‐G‐F/NL‐G‐F mice, one of the novel KI‐AD mouse models. Methods The mice were categorized by diet into 2 experimental groups, normal diet (ND) and HFD. Four‐week‐old wild‐type (WT) and APPKINL‐G‐F/NL‐G‐F mice were fed ND or HFD for 9 weeks. Both types of mice on ND and HFD were examined during young adulthood. Results HFD caused T2DM‐related metabolic disturbances in both young WT and APPKINL‐G‐F/NL‐G‐F mice, whereas impaired thermoregulation and shortage of alternative energy sources specifically occurred in young APPKINL‐G‐F/NL‐G‐F mice. However, HFD had no impact on the cognitive function, Aβ levels, and phosphorylation of hippocampal insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1) at all the 3 Ser sites in both types of mice. Conclusion HFD is effective in causing metabolic disturbances in young WT and APPKINL‐G‐F/NL‐G‐F mice but is ineffective in inducing neurological disorders in both types of mice, suggesting that the aging effects, along with long‐term HFD, facilitate neurological alterations.

Keywords

• Alzheimer’s disease
• cognitive function
• high‐fat diet
• hippocampus
• insulin receptor substrate 1
• knock‐in mouse model