Restoring normal sleep reduces the accumulation of beta amyloid in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease

The study, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, shows that TRN may not only play a previously unsuspected driving role in symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s, but it may also resume its normal activities.

TRN in AD is quiet

Dr.

Chin explained that when we sleep, TRN is usually more active than when we are awake

"Observing that our animal model is in an inactive environment than animals without conditions, we investigated the possibility that a quiet sleeping environment may be a cause of disruption to common diseases in Alzheimer's patients," said first author Dr.

The researchers first determined whether mice with Alzheimer's disease wake up more frequently during normal sleep times than mice without Alzheimer's disease

Chin said: "This discovery is related to human conditions, because studies have shown that sleep fragments and other sleep disorders in people with normal cognition are associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease

Quiet TRN is associated with a-plaque load

In the AD animal model, when the mouse grows to about one month old, measurable levels of a-β begin to appear in the brain and begin to deposit as plaques at about six months of age

Jagirdar said: "By testing 6 to 7-month-old mice, we assessed whether the sleep fragmentation and slow-wave sleep reduction we observed in the AD mouse model are related to the accumulation of late a-β

Taken together, these findings suggest that sleep disruption in AD mice may affect the accumulation of proteins related to disease progression

In addition, Chin, Jagirdar and their colleagues analyzed the autopsy tissues of patients with Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment, or without these symptoms

Can reactivating TRN improve the situation?

Using the chemogenesis system (a technology that can chemically activate specific cells), the research team activated TRN neurons in an animal model

Chin said: "The exciting thing is that after receiving the chemical activation of TRN every day for one month, AD mice showed continuous activation of TRN neurons, continuous improvement of sleep, and a significant reduction in the accumulation of a-β

The researchers pointed out that although this approach seems to improve sleep disruption and a-deposition in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease, not all sleep disorders are related to TRN

Jagirdar explained: "Sleep disorders are related to many disorders and caused by different reasons

Chin said: "Our research results show that selective activation of TRN is a promising therapeutic intervention that can improve sleep disorders and slow down the accumulation of a-β in AD patients

Journal Reference :

1. Rohan Jagirdar, Chia-Hsuan Fu, Jin Park, Brian F.