Cited by 146Alzheimer's disease research and treatmentsNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchDementia and Cognitive Impairment Research

Elevation of brain magnesium prevents synaptic loss and reverses cognitive deficits in Alzheimer’s disease mouse model

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Li, Wei, Yu, Jia, Liu, Yong, Huang, Xiaojie, Abumaria, Nashat, Zhu, Ying, Huang, Xian, Xiong, Wenxiang +4 more·2014·Molecular Brain

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Profound synapse loss is one of the major pathological hallmarks associated with Alzheimer's disease, which might underlie memory impairment. Our previous work demonstrates that magnesium ion is a critical factor in controlling synapse density/plasticity. Here, we tested whether elevation of brain magnesium, using a recently developed compound (magnesium-L-threonate, MgT), can ameliorate the AD-like pathologies and cognitive deficits in the APPswe/PS1dE9 mice, a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. RESULTS: MgT treatment reduced Aβ-plaque, prevented synapse loss and memory decline in the transgenic mice. Strikingly, MgT treatment was effective even when the treatment was given to the mice at the end-stage of their Alzheimer's disease-like pathological progression. To explore how elevation of brain magnesium ameliorates the AD-like pathologies in the brain of transgenic mice, we studied molecules critical for APP metabolism and signaling pathways implicated in synaptic plasticity/density. In the transgenic mice, the NMDAR signaling pathway was downregulated, while the BACE1 expression were upregulated. MgT treatment prevented the impairment of these signaling pathways, stabilized BACE1 expression and reduced sAPPβ and β-CTF in the transgenic mice. At the molecular level, elevation of extracellular magnesium prevented the high Aβ-induced reductions in synaptic NMDARs by preventing calcineurin overactivation in hippocampal slices. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that elevation of brain magnesium exerts substantial synaptoprotective effects in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease, and hence it might have therapeutic potential for treating Alzheimer's disease.

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  • Mg2+ treatment reduces soluble Aβ by stabilizing BACE-1 expression, thus reversing cognitive impairment and synaptic loss in AD mice.

    “In addition, Mg2+ treatment can reduce soluble Aβ by stabilizing BACE-1 expression, thus reversing cognitive impairment and synaptic loss in AD mice [551].”

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Authors
Li, W., Yu, J., Liu, Y., Huang, X., Abumaria, N., Zhu, Y., Huang, X., Xiong, W., Ren, C., Liu, X.-G., Chui, D., & Liu, G.
Affiliations
  • Tsinghua University (CN)
  • Sun Yat-sen University (CN)
  • Peking University (CN)
Corresponding author
Liu, Guosong
Venue
Molecular Brain
Published
2014-09-13
Volume
7
Issue
1
Pages
65-65
ISSN
1756-6606 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2124506047
Cited by
146
References
50
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 14
FWCI
8.64
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Molecular Brain (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China (973 Program, 2013CB835102, 81270048, 30970957)
  • National Key Research and Development Program of China (2011CB302201, 2009CB941303)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Alzheimer's disease research and treatments
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
Keywords
Alzheimer's disease, magnesium L-threonate, synaptic loss, cognitive impairment, APP/PS1 mice, amyloid plaques, NMDA receptor signaling, BACE1, APP processing, calcineurin, hippocampus, memory impairment
MeSH terms
Aging, Alzheimer Disease, Analysis of Variance, Animals, Body Weight, Brain, Butyrates, Cognition Disorders, Disease Models, Animal, Female, Hippocampus, Humans, Learning, Male, Memory Disorders, Mice, Transgenic, Motor Activity, Synaptic Transmission, Synapses, Signal Transduction, Down-Regulation, Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate, Amyloid beta-Peptides, Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases, Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases, Plaque, Amyloid

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