AUTHOR=Bi Tingting , Zhan Libin , Zhou Wen , Sui Hua 

TITLE=Effect of the ZiBuPiYin Recipe on Diabetes-Associated Cognitive Decline in Zucker Diabetic Fatty Rats After Chronic Psychological Stress

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychiatry

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00272

DOI=10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00272

ISSN=1664-0640

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Background</title><p>Cognitive impairment is a complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) that affects the central nervous system (CNS). Studies have shown that chronic psychological stress may promote the development of T2DM into diabetes-associated cognitive decline (DACD). Previously, cognitive impairment in T2DM was correlated predominantly with insulin resistance in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC).</p></sec><sec><title>Aims</title><p>We examined the effect of the ZiBuPiYin recipe (ZBPYR) on Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats and explored the impact of chronic stress on altered <italic>β</italic>-amyloid (A<italic>β</italic>) metabolism through insulin receptor substrate (IRS) 1/protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway after the induction of chronic psychological stress.</p></sec><sec><title>Main Methods</title><p>After chronic psychological stress and drug treatment, cognitive function was observed <italic>via</italic> behavioral experiments. The activation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and levels of A<italic>β</italic> were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the expression of related proteins was evaluated by Western blotting.</p></sec><sec><title>Key Findings</title><p>ZBPYR treatment significantly decreased anxious-like behaviors and plasma corticosterone (CORT) levels, and ameliorated learning and memory impairments of ZDF rats after chronic psychological stress. ZBPYR also reduced the deposition of A<italic>β</italic> in the mPFC, improved brain insulin resistance, and modulated the mTOR-autophagy pathway.</p></sec><sec><title>Significance</title><p>ZBPYR may be a potential therapeutic application for the treatment of DACD induced by chronic psychological stress.</p></sec>