The protective effect of early dietary fat consumption on Alzheimer's disease–related pathology and cognitive function in mice
Anna Amelianchik, Jonathan Merkel, Premkumar Palanisamy, Shigeru Kaneki, Emily Feierman, Erin H. Norris
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: It has been suggested that obesity may influence Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis, yet the numerous publications on this topic have inconsistent results and conclusions. METHODS: Our study examined the effect of varying the timing of high-fat diet (HFD) consumption on AD-related pathology and cognition in transgenic Tg6799 AD mice. RESULTS: HFD feeding starting at or before 3 months of age, prior to severe AD pathology, had protective effects in AD mice: reduced extracellular amyloid beta (Aβ) deposition, decreased fibrinogen extravasation into the brain parenchyma, and improved cognitive function. However, delaying HFD consumption until 6 months of age, when AD pathology is ubiquitous, reduced these protective effects in AD mice. DISCUSSION: Overall, we demonstrate that the timeline of HFD consumption may play an important role in how dietary fats affect AD pathogenesis and cognitive function.