Elucidation of mechanism behind cognitive function decline due to high-calorie diet Tokyo University of Science

A research team at Tokyo University of Science and others has revealed through experiments using mice that the decline in cognitive function caused by continued high-calorie diets is caused by abnormalities in synapses, the connections between nerve cells in the brain. It has been known that prolonged high-calorie conditions reduce brain function, but the detailed mechanism at the molecular level was not understood. The paper was published in an international scientific journal in September.

A research team led by Professor Hitoshi Okazawa of Tokyo University of Science fed mice a high-calorie diet for one or six weeks and compared the results at the molecular level with neurons in the regular diet group. As a result, it was found that a protein called "PQBP1" was decreased.

PQBP1 plays a role in regulating the correct production of proteins necessary for nerve cell information transmission. A detailed study revealed that in mice fed a high-calorie diet, insulin put a brake on the mechanism that produces PQBP1, causing abnormalities in the molecules that make up synapses and reducing the functioning of neural circuits.

When the research team administered anti-diabetic drugs and treatment to supplement PQBP1, synaptic abnormalities and cognitive function improved.

According to Professor Okazawa, further research may lead to the prevention of Alzheimer's disease in obese and diabetic patients.