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Dual Therapy with Liraglutide and Ghrelin Promotes Brain and Peripheral Energy Metabolism in the R6/2 Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease

Duarte, Ana I. LU ; Sjögren, Marie LU ; Santos, Maria S. ; Oliveira, Catarina R. ; Moreira, Paula I. and Björkqvist, Maria LU orcid (2018) In Scientific Reports 8(1).
Abstract

Neuronal loss alongside altered energy metabolism, are key features of Huntington's disease (HD) pathology. The orexigenic gut-peptide hormone ghrelin is known to stimulate appetite and affect whole body energy metabolism. Liraglutide is an efficient anti-type 2 diabetes incretin drug, with neuroprotective effects alongside anorectic properties. Combining liraglutide with the orexigenic peptide ghrelin may potentially promote brain/cognitive function in HD. The R6/2 mouse model of HD exhibits progressive central pathology, weight loss, deranged glucose metabolism, skeletal muscle atrophy and altered body composition. In this study, we targeted energy metabolism in R6/2 mice using a co-administration of liraglutide and ghrelin. We... (More)

Neuronal loss alongside altered energy metabolism, are key features of Huntington's disease (HD) pathology. The orexigenic gut-peptide hormone ghrelin is known to stimulate appetite and affect whole body energy metabolism. Liraglutide is an efficient anti-type 2 diabetes incretin drug, with neuroprotective effects alongside anorectic properties. Combining liraglutide with the orexigenic peptide ghrelin may potentially promote brain/cognitive function in HD. The R6/2 mouse model of HD exhibits progressive central pathology, weight loss, deranged glucose metabolism, skeletal muscle atrophy and altered body composition. In this study, we targeted energy metabolism in R6/2 mice using a co-administration of liraglutide and ghrelin. We investigated their effect on brain cortical hormone-mediated intracellular signalling pathways, metabolic and apoptotic markers, and the impact on motor function in HD. We here demonstrate that liraglutide, alone or together with ghrelin (subcutaneous daily injections of 150 μg/kg (ghrelin) and 0.2 mg/kg (liraglutide), for 2 weeks), normalized glucose homeostatic features in the R6/2 mouse, without substantially affecting body weight or body composition. Liraglutide alone decreased brain cortical active GLP-1 and IGF-1 levels in R6/2 mice, alongside higher ADP levels. Liraglutide plus ghrelin decreased brain insulin, lactate, AMP and cholesterol levels in R6/2 mice. Taken together, our findings encourage further studies targeting energy metabolism in HD.

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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Scientific Reports
volume
8
issue
1
article number
8961
publisher
Nature Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • scopus:85048744353
  • pmid:29895889
ISSN
2045-2322
DOI
10.1038/s41598-018-27121-w
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
a3f89bae-1783-48f2-850d-45fbf753fbf3
date added to LUP
2018-07-04 08:58:42
date last changed
2024-03-18 11:41:17
@article{a3f89bae-1783-48f2-850d-45fbf753fbf3,
  abstract     = {{<p>Neuronal loss alongside altered energy metabolism, are key features of Huntington's disease (HD) pathology. The orexigenic gut-peptide hormone ghrelin is known to stimulate appetite and affect whole body energy metabolism. Liraglutide is an efficient anti-type 2 diabetes incretin drug, with neuroprotective effects alongside anorectic properties. Combining liraglutide with the orexigenic peptide ghrelin may potentially promote brain/cognitive function in HD. The R6/2 mouse model of HD exhibits progressive central pathology, weight loss, deranged glucose metabolism, skeletal muscle atrophy and altered body composition. In this study, we targeted energy metabolism in R6/2 mice using a co-administration of liraglutide and ghrelin. We investigated their effect on brain cortical hormone-mediated intracellular signalling pathways, metabolic and apoptotic markers, and the impact on motor function in HD. We here demonstrate that liraglutide, alone or together with ghrelin (subcutaneous daily injections of 150 μg/kg (ghrelin) and 0.2 mg/kg (liraglutide), for 2 weeks), normalized glucose homeostatic features in the R6/2 mouse, without substantially affecting body weight or body composition. Liraglutide alone decreased brain cortical active GLP-1 and IGF-1 levels in R6/2 mice, alongside higher ADP levels. Liraglutide plus ghrelin decreased brain insulin, lactate, AMP and cholesterol levels in R6/2 mice. Taken together, our findings encourage further studies targeting energy metabolism in HD.</p>}},
  author       = {{Duarte, Ana I. and Sjögren, Marie and Santos, Maria S. and Oliveira, Catarina R. and Moreira, Paula I. and Björkqvist, Maria}},
  issn         = {{2045-2322}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{12}},
  number       = {{1}},
  publisher    = {{Nature Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{Scientific Reports}},
  title        = {{Dual Therapy with Liraglutide and Ghrelin Promotes Brain and Peripheral Energy Metabolism in the R6/2 Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-27121-w}},
  doi          = {{10.1038/s41598-018-27121-w}},
  volume       = {{8}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}