Home › Research › Prevention and risk
FGF21 Attenuates High-Fat Diet-Induced Cognitive Impairment via Metabolic Regulation and Anti-inflammation of Obese Mice
Wang Q, Yuan J, Yu Z, Lin L, Jiang Y, Cao Z, Zhuang P, Whalen MJ et al.. Molecular neurobiology, 2017-07-15
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Accumulating studies suggest that overnutrition-associated obesity may lead to development of type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndromes (MetS). MetS and its components are important risk factors of mild cognitive impairment, age-related cognitive decline, vascular dementia, and Alzheimer's disease. It has been recently proposed that development of a disease-course modification strategy toward early and effective risk factor management would be clinically significant in reducing the risk of metabolic disorder-initiated cognitive decline. In the present study, we propose that fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is a novel candidate for the disease-course modification approach. Using a high-fat diet (HFD) consumption-induced obese mouse model, we tested our hypothesis that recombinant human FGF21 (rFGF21) administration is effective for improving obesity-induced cognitive dysfunction and anxiety-like behavior, by its multiple metabolic modulation and anti-pro-inflammation actions. Our experimental findings support our hypothesis that rFGF21 is protective to HFD-induced cognitive impairment, at least in part by metabolic regulation in glucose tolerance impairment, insulin resistance, and hyperlipidemia; potent systemic pro-inflammation inhibition; and improvement of hippocampal dysfunction, particularly by inhibiting pro-neuroinflammation and neurogenesis deficit. This study suggests that FGF21 might be a novel molecular target of the disease-course-modifying strategy for early intervention of MstS-associated cognitive decline.
Key findings
- Accumulating studies suggest that overnutrition-associated obesity may lead to development of type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndromes (MetS).
- It has been recently proposed that development of a disease-course modification strategy toward early and effective risk factor management would be clinically significant in reducing the risk of metabolic disorder-initiated cognitive decline.
- This study suggests that FGF21 might be a novel molecular target of the disease-course-modifying strategy for early intervention of MstS-associated cognitive decline.
Why it matters
In obese mice fed a high-fat diet, recombinant human FGF21 improved cognitive dysfunction and anxiety-like behavior through metabolic regulation and reduced inflammation. This is animal research, and the authors suggest FGF21 might be a molecular target for a disease-course-modifying strategy, which is not yet established for people.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Prevention →
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 47/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Molecular neurobiology) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Molecular Neurobiology: journal h-index 176 (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 | 2 / 5 | 2018 — within 10 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 | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Laboratory or animal study (title names “mice”) — 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 157 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 15.7 citations a year over 10 year(s) since 2018 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 4.1× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 50 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Xiaoying Wang: h-index 74 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 3 / 3 | Harvard University: institution h-index 3,235 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 5 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 28712011) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 47 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Wang, Q., Yuan, J., Yu, Z., Lin, L., Jiang, Y., Cao, Z., et al. (2018). FGF21 Attenuates High-Fat Diet-Induced Cognitive Impairment via Metabolic Regulation and Anti-inflammation of Obese Mice. Molecular neurobiology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12035-017-0663-7
Vancouver
Wang Q, Yuan J, Yu Z, Lin L, Jiang Y, Cao Z, et al. FGF21 Attenuates High-Fat Diet-Induced Cognitive Impairment via Metabolic Regulation and Anti-inflammation of Obese Mice. Molecular neurobiology. 2018. doi:10.1007/s12035-017-0663-7. PMID: 28712011.
BibTeX
@article{wang2018-28712011,
author = {Wang, Q. and Yuan, J. and Yu, Z. and Lin, L. and Jiang, Y. and Cao, Z. and Zhuang, P. and Whalen, M. J. and others},
title = {{FGF21 Attenuates High-Fat Diet-Induced Cognitive Impairment via Metabolic Regulation and Anti-inflammation of Obese Mice}},
journal = {Molecular neurobiology},
year = {2018},
doi = {10.1007/s12035-017-0663-7},
pmid = {28712011},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s12035-017-0663-7}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Later studies that cite this one
1 study in the alzhub library lists this one in its references.
Related studies in Prevention and risk
Also tagged “mice”
1,150 studies in the library carry the topic tag “mice”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 1,150 tagged studies.