Leslie Sedgeman

Highlights • Non-steroidal agonists of FXR significantly decrease intestinal lipid absorption • FXR decreases hepatic triglycerides independently of SHP and SREBP1C • FXR activation reduces expression of three key lipogenic genes, Scd1, Lpin1, and Dgat2 • Intestinal and hepatic FXR are both required to decrease hepatic triglycerides Summary FXR agonists are used to treat non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), in part because they reduce hepatic lipids.

There is a strong, bi-directional link between diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. Fiona Harrison, Ph.D., and colleagues of Vanderbilt University tested whether the effects of obesity on diabetic status and cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease are permanent or reversible. The researchers fed a common mouse model for Alzheimer’s disease a high-fat diet for 10 months. The mice became obese and showed signs of diabetes including glucose intolerance.