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β-Hydroxybutyrate inhibits inflammasome activation to attenuate Alzheimer's disease pathology
Shippy DC, Wilhelm C, Viharkumar PA, Raife TJ, Ulland TK.. Journal of neuroinflammation, 2020-09-21
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive, late-onset dementia with no effective treatment available. Recent studies suggest that AD pathology is driven by age-related changes in metabolism. Alterations in metabolism, such as placing patients on a ketogenic diet, can alter cognition by an unknown mechanism.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Shippy, D. C., Wilhelm, C., Viharkumar, P. A., Raife, T. J., & Ulland, T. K. (2020). β-Hydroxybutyrate inhibits inflammasome activation to attenuate Alzheimer's disease pathology. Journal of neuroinflammation. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12974-020-01948-5
Vancouver
Shippy DC, Wilhelm C, Viharkumar PA, Raife TJ, Ulland TK. β-Hydroxybutyrate inhibits inflammasome activation to attenuate Alzheimer's disease pathology. Journal of neuroinflammation. 2020. doi:10.1186/s12974-020-01948-5. PMID: 32958021.
BibTeX
@article{shippy2020-32958021,
author = {Shippy, D. C. and Wilhelm, C. and Viharkumar, P. A. and Raife, T. J. and Ulland, T. K.},
title = {{β-Hydroxybutyrate inhibits inflammasome activation to attenuate Alzheimer's disease pathology}},
journal = {Journal of neuroinflammation},
year = {2020},
doi = {10.1186/s12974-020-01948-5},
pmid = {32958021},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12974-020-01948-5}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Recent studies suggest that AD pathology is driven by age-related changes in metabolism.
- Alterations in metabolism, such as placing patients on a ketogenic diet, can alter cognition by an unknown mechanism.
- One of the ketone bodies produced as a result of ketogenesis, β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), is known to inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome activation.
- Therefore, we tested if BHB inhibition of the NLRP3 inflammasome reduces overall AD pathology in the 5XFAD mouse model of AD.
Why it matters
This study tested whether β-hydroxybutyrate reduces Alzheimer's pathology in a mouse model by inhibiting the NLRP3 inflammasome. It is animal research, so it does not show that a ketogenic diet or this compound helps people with Alzheimer's disease.
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, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of neuroinflammation) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Journal of Neuroinflammation: journal h-index 216 (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 | 2020 — 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 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 257 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 32.1 citations a year over 8 year(s) since 2020 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 14.3× 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 146 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Tyler Kent Ulland: h-index 31 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Wisconsin–Madison: institution h-index 1,518 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 32958021) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 47 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1186/s12974-020-01948-5
- PubMed: 32958021
- Original source →
- Free full text: Journal of Neuroinflammation →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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