The molecular basis of the relationship between Alzheimer's disease and tooth loss

Research Project

Project/Area Number	25670820
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Research Field	Prosthodontics/ Dental materials science and
Research Institution	Ohu University
Principal Investigator	AKAGAWA YASUMASA 奥羽大学, 歯学部, 教授 (00127599)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	MICHIKAWA Makoto 名古屋市立大学, 大学院医学研究科, 教授 (40270912) KORETAKE Katsunori 広島大学, 大学院医歯薬保健学研究院, 助教 (50346508) 宮本泰成広島大学, その他の研究科, 助教 (00555146)
Project Period (FY)	2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 2014)
Budget Amount *help	¥3,640,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥840,000) Fiscal Year 2014: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000) Fiscal Year 2013: ¥2,210,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥510,000)
Keywords	アルツハイマー病 / 歯の喪失 / 咬合
Outline of Final Research Achievements	We tested the effect of tooth loss on learning and memory and on the molecular pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in an aged AD model mice. We divided 14-month-old AD model mice into upper molar extracted group (experimental) and molar intact group (control). At 18 months old, we analysed the changes of amyloid-beta (Aβ), pyramidal cells in the brain and the learning and memory ability. The amount of Aβ and the number of pyramidal cells in the hippocampus were not significantly different between the experimental and control group. Similarly, the difference of learning and memory ability could not be distinguished between the groups. Neither molecular pathogenesis of AD nor associated learning and memory were aggravated by tooth loss in these mice. The limited results of this study which used the aged mice may help the dental profession to plan and explain treatments to patients with AD, which must be designed while taking into account the severity of the AD symptoms.