MOLECULAR NEUROBIOLOGY, vol.60, no.7, pp.4030-4048, 2023 (SCI-Expanded)
Cyclo (his-pro-CHP) plus zinc (Zn+2) (Cyclo-Z) is the only known chemical that increases the production of insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) and decreases the number of inactive insulin fragments in cells. The aim of the present study was to systematically characterize the effects of Cyclo-Z on the insulin pathway, memory functions, and brain oscillations in the Alzheimer's disease (AD) rat model. The rat model of AD was established by bilateral injection of A beta 42 oligomer (2,5nmol/10 mu l) into the lateral ventricles. Cyclo-Z (10mg Zn+2/kg and 0.2mg CHP/kg) gavage treatment started seven days after A beta injection and lasted for 21 days. At the end of the experimental period, memory tests and electrophysiological recordings were performed, which were followed by the biochemical analysis. A beta 42 oligomers led to a significant increase in fasting blood glucose, serum insulin, Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) and phospho-tau-Ser356 levels. Moreover, A beta 42 oligomers caused a significant decrement in body weight, hippocampal insulin, brain insulin receptor substrate (IRS-Ser612), and glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK-3 beta) levels. Also, A beta 42 oligomers resulted in a significant reduction in memory. The Cyclo-Z treatment prevented the observed alterations in the ADZ group except for phospho-tau levels and attenuated the increased A beta 42 oligomer levels in the ADZ group. We also found that the A beta 42 oligomer decreased the left temporal spindle and delta power during ketamine anesthesia. Cyclo-Z treatment reversed the A beta 42 oligomer-related alterations in the left temporal spindle power. Cyclo-Z prevents A beta oligomer-induced changes in the insulin pathway and amyloid toxicity, and may contribute to the improvement of memory deficits and neural network dynamics in this rat model.