Leptin signaling plays a critical role in the geniposide-induced decrease of tau phosphorylation

Abstract

We have previously demonstrated that geniposide attenuates the production of Aβ1-42 both in vitro and in vivo via enhancing leptin receptor signaling. But the role played by geniposide in the phosphorylation of tau and its underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of geniposide on the phosphorylation of tau and the role of leptin signaling in this process. Our data suggested that, accompanied by the up-regulation of leptin receptor expression, geniposide significantly decreased the phosphorylation of tau in rat primary cultured cortical neurons and in APP/PS1 transgenic mice, and this geniposide-induced decrease of tau phosphorylation could be prevented by leptin antagonist (LA). Furthermore, LA also prevented the phosphorylation of Akt at Ser-473 site and GSK-3β at Ser-9 site induced by geniposide. All these results indicate that geniposide may regulate tau phosphorylation through leptin signaling, and geniposide may be a promising therapeutic compound for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease in the future.