Brain Cholinergic Markers and Tau Phosphorylation are Altered in Experimental Type 1 Diabetes: Normalization by Electroacupuncture

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Rocco, Maria Luisa^a | Pristerà, Andrea^a | Pistillo, Luana^a | Aloe, Luigi^a | Canu, Nadia^{a; b; **} | Manni, Luigi^{c; *}

Affiliations: [a] Cellular Biology and Neurobiology Institute, National Research Council (CNR), Rome, Italy | [b] Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy | [c] Institute of Translational Pharmacology, National Research Council (CNR), Rome, Italy

Correspondence: [*] Correspondence to: Dr. Luigi Manni, PhD, CNR – National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Translational Pharmacology, via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy. Tel.: +39 06 49934248; Fax: +39 06 45488257; E-mail: luigi.manni@ift.cnr.it.

Correspondence: [**] Co-correspondence to: Prof. Nadia Canu, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy. E-mail: n.canu@inmm.cnr.it.

Abstract: Diabetes often correlates with tau phosphorylation and the development of Alzheimer's disease. Both are associated with brain cholinergic dysfunction that could benefit from nerve growth factor (NGF)-based therapies. Electroacupuncture (EA) improves brain NGF availability and action. Here we assessed the variations of NGF and tau phosphorylation in the cortex and hippocampus, as well as the expression of choline acetyltransferase in the basal forebrain following diabetes induction and EA in adult rats. We found that EA counteracts diabetes-associated tau hyperphosphorylation and decreases in NGF and choline acetyltransferase, suggesting a possible beneficial effect of EA on brain cholinergic system in diabetes.

Keywords: Choline acetyltransferase, diabetes, electroacupuncture, nerve growth factor, tau phosphorylation

DOI: 10.3233/JAD-2012-121309

Journal: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, vol. 33, no. 3, pp. 767-773, 2013