Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 24, 2026

Osmotic Minipump Implantation for Increasing Glucose Concentration in Mouse Cerebrospinal Fluid
Published on: April 7, 2023
Alzheimer's disease and type 2 diabetes: two diseases, one common link?
Jasmin Bartl1, Camelia-Maria Monoranu, Anne-Kristin Wagner
1Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
Objectives:
Although Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia in the elderly, its aetiology remains mostly unknown. A potential pathophysiological mechanism for AD arises from the knowledge that insulin is also synthesized independently in the central nervous system and is involved in the regulation of memory formation. AD may represent a brain-specific form of insulin resistance.
Methods:
We used immunohistochemistry to investigate the numbers of cells expressing insulin receptor β-subunit (IRβ) and phosphorylated PPARγ (PPARγ(p)) in human post-mortem tissue from patients with AD; AD combined with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM); just T2DM , and from aged-matched controls. These numbers were evaluated in frontal cortex and in dorsal/ventral parts of the hippocampus.
Results:
We observed significantly lower numbers of IRβ positive cells in AD cases compared to all other groups in all investigated brain regions. Also significantly more PPARγ(p) positive cells occurred in each patient group compared to control.
Conclusions:
T2DM and AD may not be directly linked, but may share common histological features including lower numbers of IRβ positive cells and higher numbers of PPARγ(p) positive cells in all investigated brain regions. These observations may at least partially explain the increased frequency of AD in elderly diabetic patients.
Related Concept Videos
Type II Diabetes II: Pathophysiology
Type II Diabetes I: Introduction
Psychoneuroimmunology: Diabetes and Cancer
Type I Diabetes II: Pathophysiology
Pathophysiology of Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is characterized by autoimmune-mediated destruction of pancreatic β cells, with environmental factors potentially triggering this process in genetically susceptible individuals. Despite many not having a family history, certain genes increase susceptibility, suggesting a...
Diabetes Mellitus: Type 2 and Gestational
