Background: The Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle (AIBL) Study commenced in 2006 as a prospective study of 1,112 individuals (768 cognitively normal (CN), 133 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 211 with Alzheimer’s disease dementia (AD)) as an ‘Inception cohort’ who underwent detailed ssessments every 18 months. Over the past decade, an additional 1247 subjects have been added as an ‘Enrichment cohort’ (as of 10 April 2019). Objective: Here we provide an overview of these Inception and Enrichment cohorts of more than 8,500 person-years of investigation. Methods: Participants underwent reassessment every 18 months including comprehensive cognitive testing, neuroimaging (magnetic resonance imaging, MRI; positron emission tomography, PET), biofluid biomarkers and lifestyle evaluations. Results: AIBL has made major contributions to the understanding of the natural history of AD, with cognitive and biological definitions of its three major stages: preclinical, prodromal and clinical. Early deployment of Aβ-amyloid and tau molecular PET imaging and the development of more sensitive and specific blood tests have facilitated the assessment of genetic and environmental factors which affect age at onset and rates of progression. Conclusion: This fifteen-year study provides a large database of highly characterized individuals with longitudinal cognitive, imaging and lifestyle data and biofluid collections, to aid in the development of interventions to delay onset, prevent or treat AD. Harmonization with similar large longitudinal cohort studies is underway to further these aims.

MacDonald L, Radler M, Paolini AG, Kent S. Calorie restriction attenuates LPS-induced sickness behavior and shifts hypothalamic signaling pathways to an anti-inflammatory bias. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 301: R172-R184, 2011. First published April 27, 2011 doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00057.2011 has been demonstrated to alter cytokine levels; however, its potential to modify sickness behavior (fever, anorexia, cachexia) has not. The effect of CR on sickness behavior was examined in male C57BL/6J mice fed ad libitum or restricted 25% (CR25%) or restricted 50% (CR50%) in food intake for 28 days and injected with 50 g/kg of LPS on day 29. Changes in body temperature, locomotor activity, body weight, and food intake were determined. A separate cohort of mice were fed ad libitum or CR50% for 28 days, and hypothalamic mRNA expression of inhibitory factor B-␣ (I B-␣), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), prostaglandin E 2 (PGE2), suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3), IL-10, neuropeptide Y (NPY), leptin, proopiomelanocortin (POMC), and corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) were determined at 0, 2, and 4 h post-LPS. CR50% mice did not develop fevers, whereas the CR25% mice displayed a fever shorter in duration but with the same peak as the controls. Both CR25% and CR50% mice showed no sign of anorexia and reduced cachexia after LPS administration. Hypothalamic mRNA expression of NPY and CRH were both increased by severalfold in CR50% animals preinjection compared with controls. The CR50% mice did not demonstrate the expected rise in hypothalamic mRNA expression of COX-2, microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1, POMC, or CRH 2 h post-LPS, and leptin expression was decreased at this time point. Increases in SOCS3, IL-10, and I B-␣ expression in CR50% animals were enhanced compared with ad libitum-fed controls at 4 h post-LPS. CR results in a suppression of sickness behavior in a dose-dependent manner, which may be due to CR attenuating proinflammatory pathways and enhancing anti-inflammatory pathways. fever; suppressor of cytokine signaling 3; cyclooxygenase-2; microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1; leptin CALORIE RESTRICTION (CR), a dietary regimen low in calories, while avoiding malnutrition, is the only manipulation that has consistently been shown to extend the mean and maximum life span in a range of species (2,42,71,76). In addition to an increase in life span, CR attenuates the normal immunosenscence seen with age (52), along with reducing the occurrence of other age-related diseases (14,39,43,53,54,79).It has been postulated that the mechanism by which CR extends the mean and maximum life span is by reducing oxidative stress caused by unregulated increases in reactive oxygen species (3,19,31,42,69), as well as by limiting the age-related increase in basal pro-inflammatory cytokine levels (73). One possible mechanism by which CR exerts its antiinflammatory effect are glucocorticoids, which are increased after CR (33, 47) and act to increase the transcription of anti-inflammatory cytokines and decrease the transcripti...

No abstract

No abstract

It is increasingly appreciated that perinatal events can set an organism on a life-long trajectory for either health or disease, resilience or risk. One early life variable that has proven critical for optimal development is the nutritional environment in which the organism develops. Extensive research has documented the effects of both undernutrition and overnutrition, with strong links evident for an increased risk for obesity and metabolic disorders, as well as adverse mental health outcomes. Recent work has highlighted a critical role of the immune system, in linking diet with long term health and behavioral outcomes. The present review will summarize the recent literature regarding the interactions of diet, immunity, and behavior.