Amyloid β pathology disrupts cardiac neurotrophic signaling by reducing BDNF expression and disrupting TrkB/CREB signaling, leading to myocardial denervation and cardiac dysfunction.
Does Amyloid β pathology disrupt cardiac neurotrophic signaling and cause cardiac dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease models?
Amyloid β pathology directly impairs cardiac neurotrophic signaling and promotes myocardial denervation and dysfunction, providing a mechanistic link between Alzheimer's disease and heart degeneration.
ABSTRACT While a link between cardiovascular risk factors and increased Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk has been reported, it remains unclear whether AD pathology has a direct effect on cardiac function and myocardial innervation. AD and amyloidosis are known to impair neuronal function and affect brain neurotrophic factors (NGF and BDNF) expression. Amyloid aggregates and neuro‐signaling impairments may also expose AD patients to peripheral nervous system deficits, promoting cardiac disorders. Here, we provide novel understanding of cardiac physiological impairment, amyloid pathology, neurotrophic factors loss, and impoverishment of cardiac neuronal fibers in Tg2576‐AD mice hearts, human cardiomyocytes in culture, and human AD post‐mortem left ventricular (LV) heart tissue. We reveal that Tg2576 animals exhibit increased myocardial fibrosis, amyloid β (Aβ) deposition, and brain/heart‐axis neurotrophic deficiencies, resulting in myocardial denervation and cardiac dysfunction. Aβ oligomers challenge reduces BDNF expression in both human immortalized and iPSC‐derived cardiomyocytes, by disrupting TrkB/CREB signaling. Analysis of human LV AD post‐mortem tissue confirms cell and animal results. Our findings reveal potential pathways by which Aβ pathology may disrupt cardiac neurotrophic signaling and physiology, identifying a possible link between AD and heart degeneration.
Elia et al. (2026) studied Alzheimer's disease associated heart disease. Amyloid β (Aβ) pathology was evaluated on Cardiac physiological impairment and neurotrophic signaling. Amyloid β pathology disrupts cardiac neurotrophic signaling by reducing BDNF expression and disrupting TrkB/CREB signaling, leading to myocardial denervation and cardiac dysfunction.
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