Rotating magnetic field improves cognitive and memory impairments in APP/PS1 mice by activating autophagy and inhibiting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway

  • Exp Neurol. 2024 Oct 25:383:115029. doi: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2024.115029.
Mengqing Li  1 ,  Yaxian Mo  2 ,  Qinyao Yu  3 ,  Umer Anayyat  1 ,  Hua Yang  1 ,  Fen Zhang  1 ,  Yunpeng Wei  4 ,  Xiaomei Wang  5
Affiliations
  • 1. School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518061, China.
  • 2. Songgang People's Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518105, China.
  • 3. School of Pharmacy, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518061, China.
  • 4. Songgang People's Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518105, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 5. School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518061, China; International Cancer Center, Shenzhen University Health Sciences Center, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518061, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
PMID: 39461710 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2024.115029
Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a geriatric disorder that can be roughly classified into sporadic AD and hereditary AD. The latter is strongly associated with genetic factors, and its treatment poses greater challenges compared to sporadic AD. Rotating magnetic fields (RMF) is a non-invasive treatment known to have diverse biological effects, including the modulation of the central nervous system and aging. However, the impact of RMF on hereditary AD and its underlying mechanism remain unexplored. In this study, we exposed APP/PS1 mice to RMF (2 h/day, 0.2 T, 4 Hz) for a duration of 6 months. The results demonstrated that RMF treatment significantly ameliorated their cognitive and memory impairments, attenuated neuronal damage, and reduced amyloid deposition. Furthermore, RNA-sequencing analysis revealed a significant enrichment of autophagy-related genes and the PI3K/AKT-mTOR signaling pathway. Western blotting further confirmed that RMF activated Autophagy and suppressed the phosphorylation of proteins associated with the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway in APP/PS1 mice. These protective effects and the underlying mechanism were also observed in Aβ25-35-exposed HT22 cells. Collectively, our findings indicate that RMF improves cognitive and memory dysfunction in APP/PS1 mice by activating Autophagy and inhibiting the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway, thus highlighting the potential of RMF as a clinical treatment for hereditary AD.

Keywords
APP/PS1 mice; Autophagy; Hereditary Alzheimer's disease; Rotating magnetic fields; The PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.
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