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Changes in cerebral blood volume and amyloid pathology in aged Alzheimer APP/PS1 mice on a docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) diet or cholesterol enriched Typical Western Diet (TWD)
Hooijmans CR, Rutters F, Dederen PJ, Gambarota G, Veltien A, van Groen T, Broersen LM, Lütjohann D et al.. Neurobiology of disease, 2007-06-18
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
High dietary cholesterol and low dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) intake are risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, it is unclear how these components influence the course of the disease. We investigated the effects of dietary lipids on beta-amyloid deposition and blood circulation in the brains of 18-month-old APP/PS1 mice. Starting at 6 months of age, mice were fed a regular rodent chow, a Typical Western Diet (TWD) containing 1% cholesterol, or a diet with a high (0.5%) level of DHA for 12 months. Relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) and flow (CBF) were determined with (2)H MR spectroscopy and gradient echo contrast enhanced MRI. Deposition of beta-amyloid was visualized in fixed brain tissue with immunohistochemistry. The TWD diet increased plaque burden in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, but did not significantly reduce rCBV. In contrast, the DHA-enriched diet increased rCBV without changing blood flow indicating a larger circulation in the brain probably due to vasodilatation and decreased the amount of vascular beta-amyloid deposition. Together, our results indicate that the long-term intake of dietary lipids can impact both brain circulation and beta-amyloid deposition, and support the involvement of hemodynamic changes in the development of AD.
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APA 7th
Hooijmans, C. R., Rutters, F., Dederen, P. J., Gambarota, G., Veltien, A., van Groen, T., et al. (2007). Changes in cerebral blood volume and amyloid pathology in aged Alzheimer APP/PS1 mice on a docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) diet or cholesterol enriched Typical Western Diet (TWD). Neurobiology of disease. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbd.2007.06.007
Vancouver
Hooijmans CR, Rutters F, Dederen PJ, Gambarota G, Veltien A, van Groen T, et al. Changes in cerebral blood volume and amyloid pathology in aged Alzheimer APP/PS1 mice on a docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) diet or cholesterol enriched Typical Western Diet (TWD). Neurobiology of disease. 2007. doi:10.1016/j.nbd.2007.06.007. PMID: 17720508.
BibTeX
@article{hooijmans2007-17720508,
author = {Hooijmans, C. R. and Rutters, F. and Dederen, P. J. and Gambarota, G. and Veltien, A. and van Groen, T. and Broersen, L. M. and Lütjohann, D. and others},
title = {{Changes in cerebral blood volume and amyloid pathology in aged Alzheimer APP/PS1 mice on a docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) diet or cholesterol enriched Typical Western Diet (TWD)}},
journal = {Neurobiology of disease},
year = {2007},
doi = {10.1016/j.nbd.2007.06.007},
pmid = {17720508},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbd.2007.06.007}
}
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Key findings
- The TWD diet increased plaque burden in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, but did not significantly reduce rCBV.
- Together, our results indicate that the long-term intake of dietary lipids can impact both brain circulation and beta-amyloid deposition, and support the involvement of hemodynamic changes in the development of AD.
Why it matters
In Alzheimer-model APP/PS1 mice fed for 12 months from 6 months of age, a high-DHA (0.5%) diet increased relative cerebral blood volume on MRI without changing blood flow and reduced beta-amyloid deposited in blood vessels, while a 1% cholesterol "Typical Western Diet" increased plaque in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus without significantly reducing blood volume. The authors conclude that long-term dietary lipid intake "can impact both brain circulation and beta-amyloid deposition." This is an animal study with no reported cognitive outcomes or effect sizes, so it does not show that DHA or diet changes Alzheimer's in people.
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Study details
- Effect size0.5%
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 44/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Neurobiology of disease) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Neurobiology of Disease: journal h-index 225 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2007 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Laboratory or animal study (title names “app/ps1”) — scores zero |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 154 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 7.3 citations a year over 21 year(s) since 2007 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 6.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 8 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 12 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Amanda J. Kiliaan: h-index 51 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Alabama at Birmingham: institution h-index 1,118 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 4 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 17720508) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 44 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
- DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2007.06.007
- PubMed: 17720508
- Original source →
- Free full text: DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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