| First Author | Guisle I | Year | 2022 |
| Journal | Neurobiol Aging | Volume | 113 |
| Pages | 118-130 | PubMed ID | 35334439 |
| Mgi Jnum | J:325636 | Mgi Id | MGI:7278487 |
| Doi | 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2022.02.011 | Citation | Guisle I, et al. (2022) Sauna-like conditions or menthol treatment reduce tau phosphorylation through mild hyperthermia. Neurobiol Aging 113:118-130 |
| abstractText | In Alzheimer's disease (AD), hyper-phosphorylation and aggregation of tau correlate with clinical progression and represent a valid therapeutic target. A recent 20-year prospective study revealed an association between moderate to high frequency of Finnish sauna bathing and a lower incidence of dementia and AD, but the molecular mechanisms underlying these benefits remain uncertain. Here, we tested the hypothesis that sauna-like conditions could lower tau phosphorylation by increasing body temperature. We observed a decrease in tau phosphorylation in wild-type and hTau mice as well as in neuron-like cells when exposed to higher temperatures. These effects were correlated with specific changes in phosphatase and kinase activities, but not with inflammatory or heat shock responses. We also used a drug strategy to promote thermogenesis: topical application of menthol, which led to a sustained increase in body temperature in hTau mice, concomitant with a significant decrease in tau phosphorylation. Our results suggest that sauna-like conditions or menthol treatment could lower tau pathology through mild hyperthermia, and may provide promising therapeutic strategies for AD and other tauopathies. |
