Novel calcium-related targets of insulin in hippocampal neurons

Both insulin signaling disruption and Ca²⁺ dysregulation are closely related to memory loss during aging and increase the vulnerability to Alzheimer's disease (AD). In hippocampal neurons, aging-related changes in calcium regulatory pathways have been shown to lead to higher intracellular calcium levels and an increase in the Ca²⁺-dependent afterhyperpolarization (AHP), which is associated with cognitive decline. Recent studies suggest that insulin reduces the Ca²⁺-dependent AHP. Given the sensitivity of neurons to insulin and evidence that brain insulin signaling is reduced with age, insulin-mediated alterations in calcium homeostasis may underlie the beneficial actions of insulin in the brain. Indeed, increasing insulin signaling in the brain via intranasal delivery has yielded promising results such as improving memory in both clinical and animal studies. However, while several mechanisms have been proposed, few have focused on regulation on intracellular Ca²⁺. In the present study, we further examined the effects of acute insulin on calcium pathways in primary hippocampal neurons in culture. Using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique, we found that acute insulin delivery reduced voltage-gated calcium currents. Fura-2 imaging was used to also address acute insulin effects on spontaneous and depolarization-mediated Ca²⁺ transients. Results indicate that insulin reduced Ca²⁺ transients, which appears to have involved a reduction in ryanodine receptor function. Together, these results suggest insulin regulates pathways that control intracellular Ca²⁺ which may reduce the AHP and improve memory. This may be one mechanism contributing to improved memory recall in response to intranasal insulin therapy in the clinic.