Rapamycin Reduces Amyloid-β Plaques and Improves Behavioral Performance in a Sex-Dependent Manner in Mouse Models of Amyloidosis.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common form of dementia, lacks effective disease-modifying treatments. Rapamycin, an mTOR inhibitor with immunomodulatory properties, may mitigate AD pathology by restoring microglial functions. METHODS: Rapamycin was orally administered to 2-month-old 5xFAD and hAPP. RESULTS: Rapamycin treatment reduced the cerebral Aβ plaque burden, alleviated dystrophic neurites, suppressed glial hyperactivation, and increased plaque-associated microglial density in both mouse models, with more pronounced effects in female mice. These pathological improvements were associated with attenuated deficits in hippocampal-dependent memory tasks (spontaneous alternation in the Y-maze and contextual fear conditioning tasks). Mechanistically, rapamycin enhances microglial lysosomal degradation, promotes lipid droplet clearance in BV2 cells, and increases Aβ phagocytic clearance in primary microglial cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that rapamycin reduces amyloid pathology and associated behavioral deficits in AD mice, an effect associated with enhanced microglial lysosomal activity and Aβ clearance, highlighting its therapeutic potential in AD treatment.