MA-[D-Leu-4]-OB3, a small molecule synthetic peptide leptin mimetic, improves episodic memory, and reduces serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and neurodegeneration in mouse models of Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

BACKGROUND: Extracellular beta-amyloid (Aβ), intra-neuronal hyper-phosphorylated tau protein, and chronic inflammation are neuropathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). A link between AD, insulin dysfunction, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in promoting both tau and Aβ pathologies in vivo has been proposed.
METHODS: MA-[D-Leu-4]-OB3 was given, with or without insulin, to streptozotocin (STZ)-treated male Swiss Webster mice, and to male diet-induced obese (DIO) mice. Brains were excised, and coronal sections were imaged with fluoro jade-C (FJC), thioflavin-S, or hematoxylin and eosin (H&E). Serum TNF-α and IGF-1 were measured by ELISA. Histopathological changes in the cerebral cortex (CC) and hippocampus (HC) were correlated with changes in glycemic regulation, episodic memory, and serum levels of TNF-α and IGF-1.
RESULTS: In STZ-treated mice, blood glucose and serum TNF-α and IGF-1 were reduced by insulin alone, and normalized when MA-[D-Leu-4]-OB3 was given in combination with insulin. Improvement in episodic memory was inversely correlated with the number of FJC-positive cells in the CC and HC and serum TNF-α and IGF-1. FJC, thioflavin-S and H&E staining indicated no Aβ deposition. Similar results were observed in DIO mice treated with MA-[D-Leu-4]-OB3.
CONCLUSIONS: The mechanism by which MA-[D-Leu-4]-OB3 improves episodic memory in mouse models of TIDM and T2DM appears to be related to improved insulin sensitivity and reduced TNF-α-induced neurodegeneration. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: MA-[D-Leu-4]-OB3 may have application to human pre-clinical and clinical AD and AD-like dementia by interrupting the cascade of insulin resistance, neuro-inflammation, and neurodegeneration, that characterizes these diseases.