- High blood sugar levels are associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease, but the specific cellular mechanisms behind this link were previously unclear.
- Now, a new study looking at ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels, which regulate cell activity based on energy levels, has shed light on the connection.
- Researchers found that these channels are present in various brain cells, and their expression changes in Alzheimer’s disease, finding that disabling these channels in a mouse model prevented the typical rise in beta-amyloid levels and the formation of amyloid plaques caused by high blood sugar.
- This paves the way for potential new treatments, that could target specific channels as a new way of treating the disease.
Type 2 diabetes is known to increase the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease, but the underlying reasons remain unclear and are subject to ongoing research.
When blood sugar levels are high, it can make the brain more active and lead to the release of a substance called
Now, scientists at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in North Carolina have made a significant breakthrough, demonstrating that increased sugar consumption and elevated blood glucose levels alone can trigger the accumulation of amyloid plaque in the brain, which is a contributing factor to the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Their new study, published in JCI Insight, provides valuable insights into the metabolic changes associated with diabetes that make the brain susceptible to Alzheimer’s.
The researchers focused on a type of channel called ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels, which are involved in regulating cell activity based on energy levels. In the brain, KATP channels are strongly expressed in the neuronal circuitry.
In a mouse model, the researchers demonstrated that the consumption of sugar water, as opposed to regular drinking water, leads to a greater formation of amyloid…
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