Journal of neuroendocrinology
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J. Neuroendocrinol. · Mar 2014
Protective effect of leptin and ghrelin against toxicity induced by amyloid-β oligomers in a hypothalamic cell line.
In addition to cognitive decline, Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients also exhibit an unexplained weight loss that correlates with disease progression. In young and middle-aged AD patients, large amounts of amyloid-β (Aβ) deposits were observed in the hypothalamus, a brain region involved in the control of feeding and body weight through the action of peripheral metabolic peptides, which have recently been shown to have neuroprotective effects. Moreover, levels of peripheral metabolic peptides, such as leptin and ghrelin, are changed in AD patients. ⋯ It was also demonstrated that leptin and ghrelin protect these cells against AβO-induced cell death through the activation of the leptin and ghrelin receptors, respectively. Furthermore, ghrelin and leptin prevented superoxide production, calcium rise and mitochondrial dysfunction triggered by AβO. Taken together, these results suggest that peripheral metabolic peptides, in particular leptin and ghrelin, might be considered as preventive strategies for ameliorating hypothalamic alterations in AD.