Carotid Body Resection Prevents Short-Term Spatial Memory Decline in Prediabetic Rats Without Changing Insulin...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Metabolic Disease Research
• Endocrinology

Background:

• Early-onset type 2 diabetes (T2D) increases neurodegenerative disease risk, linked to insulin resistance.
• Prediabetes is associated with heightened carotid body (CB) activity.
• CBs play a role in metabolic disease development; their resection can revert T2D features.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if carotid sinus nerve (CSN) resection prevents cognitive impairment in a diet-induced prediabetes model.
• To assess the impact of CSN resection on insulin signaling in brain regions crucial for memory.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a Wistar rat model fed a high-fat, high-sucrose (HFHSu) diet for 20 weeks to induce prediabetes.
• Performed CSN resection in a subset of HFHSu-fed rats.
• Evaluated cognitive function using the y-maze test and analyzed insulin signaling proteins in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus.

Main Results:

• HFHSu-fed rats showed impaired short-term memory.
• CSN resection significantly prevented the development of short-term memory deficits in these rats.
• Neither HFHSu diet nor CSN resection caused significant changes in insulin signaling protein levels.

Conclusions:

• Carotid body (CB) activity modulation via CSN resection may prevent short-term spatial memory deficits.
• This suggests a link between peripheral metabolic dysregulation, CB activity, and cognitive function.