GLPwatch

Transcriptomics and proteomics characterizing the antioxidant mechanisms of semaglutide in diabetic mice with cognitive impairment.

Int J Mol Med · 2025

Last updated 2026-05-28

In a study on diabetic mice with cognitive impairment, the drug semaglutide (10 µg/kg) improved learning and memory while reducing brain damage. Using advanced testing methods, researchers found that semaglutide changed the activity of 1,378 genes and 2,394 proteins compared to untreated diabetic mice, uncovering 40 shared pathways linked to its effects. The drug also appeared to reduce oxidative stress by suppressing a protein called ACOX1, though this effect was weakened when ACOX1 was artificially increased.

AI summary of the abstract below.

JournalInt J Mol Med, 2025
Citations4
Molecules semaglutide
Conditions studied Type 2 Diabetes, Alzheimers

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the neuroprotective effects of semaglutide in diabetes‑associated cognitive decline (DACD), while also exploring the underlying mechanisms targeting anti‑oxidative effects. The present study evaluated the antioxidant properties of semaglutide using a DACD model of inflammation. To investigate the underlying mechanisms, omics technologies were employed. Comprehensive transcriptomic and proteomic analysis of the cells was conducted to identify the pathways responsible for the observed antioxidant effects. Semaglutide demonstrated the potential to enhance learning and memory functions while mitigating hippocampal pathological damage. RNA‑sequencing and data‑independent acquisition proteomics analyses identified 13,511 differentially expressed genes and 588 differentially expressed proteins between the control and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) groups. In addition, 1,378 genes and 2,394 proteins exhibited a differential expression between the T2DM and semaglutide (10 µg/kg) treatment groups. A combined transcriptomic and proteomic analysis unveiled 40 common pathways. Acyl‑CoA oxidase 1 (ACOX1) was observed to be activated during oxidative stress and subsequently suppressed by semaglutide. Of note, the antioxidant and anti‑apoptotic properties of semaglutide in high glucose (HG) conditions were partially reversed upon ACOX1 overexpression. Overall, the present data provided molecular evidence to elucidate the physiological connections between semaglutide and neuronal function, and contribute to clarifying the role of semaglutide in combating oxidative stress and HG‑induced cognitive impairment.

Verbatim abstract via PubMed 39886945 ↗

Related research