Peripheral adipose tissue insulin resistance alters lipid composition and function of hippocampal synapses.

Compelling evidence indicates that type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), insulin resistance (IR), and metabolic syndrome are often accompanied by cognitive impairment. However, the mechanistic link between these metabolic abnormalities and CNS dysfunction requires further investigations. Here, we evaluated whether adipose tissue (AT) IR and related metabolic alterations resulted in CNS changes by studying synapse lipid composition and function in the adipocyte-specific ecto-nucleotide pyrophosphate phosphodiesterase overexpressing transgenic (AtENPP1-Tg) mouse, a model characterized by white adipocyte IR, systemic IR, and ectopic fat deposition. When fed a high-fat diet (HFD), AtENPP1-Tg mice recapitulate essential features of the human metabolic syndrome, making them an ideal model to characterize peripherally induced CNS deficits. Using a combination of gas chromatography and western blot analysis, we found evidence of altered lipid composition, including decreased phospholipids and increased triglycerides (TG) and fatty acid (FFA) in hippocampal synaptosomes isolated from HFD-fed AtENPP1-Tg mice. These changes were associated with impaired basal synaptic transmission at the Schaffer collaterals to hippocampal cornu ammonis 1 (CA1) synapses, decreased phosphorylation of the GluN1 glutamate receptor subunit, down-regulation of insulin receptor expression and up-regulation of the FFA receptor 1.