Ovariectomy and High Fat-Sugar-Salt Diet Induced Alzheimer's Disease/Vascular Dementia Features in Mice

Aging Dis. 2024 Oct 1;15(5):2284-2300. doi: 10.14336/AD.2024.03110.

Abstract

While the vast majority of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is non-familial, the animal models of AD that are commonly used for studying disease pathogenesis and development of therapy are mostly of a familial form. We aimed to generate a model reminiscent of the etiologies related to the common late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) sporadic disease that will recapitulate AD/dementia features. Naïve female mice underwent ovariectomy (OVX) to accelerate aging/menopause and were fed a high fat-sugar-salt diet to expose them to factors associated with increased risk of development of dementia/AD. The OVX mice fed a high fat-sugar-salt diet responded by dysregulation of glucose/insulin, lipid, and liver function homeostasis and increased body weight with slightly increased blood pressure. These mice developed AD-brain pathology (amyloid and tangle pathologies), gliosis (increased burden of astrocytes and activated microglia), impaied blood vessel density and neoangiogenesis, with cognitive impairment. Thus, OVX mice fed on a high fat-sugar-salt diet imitate a non-familial sporadic/environmental form of AD/dementia with vascular damage. This model is reminiscent of the etiologies related to the LOAD sporadic disease that represents a high portion of AD patients, with an added value of presenting concomitantly AD and vascular pathology, which is a common condition in dementia. Our model can, thereby, provide a valuable tool for studying disease pathogenesis and for the development of therapeutic approaches.

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease* / etiology
  • Alzheimer Disease* / metabolism
  • Alzheimer Disease* / pathology
  • Animals
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Brain / pathology
  • Dementia, Vascular* / etiology
  • Dementia, Vascular* / pathology
  • Diet, High-Fat* / adverse effects
  • Disease Models, Animal*
  • Female
  • Gliosis / pathology
  • Mice
  • Ovariectomy* / adverse effects
  • Sodium Chloride, Dietary / adverse effects

Substances

  • Sodium Chloride, Dietary