One of the main features of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a dysfunction in the metabolism of glucose in the brain. These alterations can be observed in very early stages of the disease, even decades before clinical symptoms. It has been postulated that these metabolic changes could be related to synaptic alterations and cognitive decline.
Moreover, several studies have shown that diet can modulate neuronal function, either negatively (on diets high in saturated fat and sugars) or positively (on diets rich in fruits and vegetables, polyunsaturated fatty acids and fibers). In our laboratory we have particular interest in elucidating the effect of different foods on the metabolic expenditure and neuronal function, both in models of obesity and Alzheimer's disease.
We have observed that various foods can prevent or delay the deterioration of memory, by increasing the metabolic rate of specific type of cells. This could help to develop therapeutic strategies to prevent the development of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

We are also interested in developing drugs that modify the course of Alzheimer's disease.
On the other hand, we want to characterize non-transgenic models of AD, such as non-human primates (common marmoset). These models have the advantage of presenting a closer human genome sequence, as well as a more complex and developed brain compared to rodents.

• Sanchez-Tapia, M., Aguilar-López, M., Perez-Cruz, C., Pichardo-Ontiveros, E., Wang, M., Donovan, S., Tovar, A., and Torres, N. (2017). Nopal (Opuntia ficus indica) protects from metabolic endotoxemia, improving carbohydrate and lipid metabolism and cognitive function by modifying gut microbiota in a rat model of high fat and sucrose feeding. Sci. Reports. 7, 1–16.

  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-05096-4?WT.ec_id=SREP-692-20170711&spMailingID=54465986&spUserID=NTQ1MzAxNjA0NDUS1&spJobID=1201645036&spReportId=MTIwMTY0NTAzNgS2#Sec2

• Morin J.P., Rodriguez-Durán F., Guzman-Ramos, K., Perez-Cruz, C., Ferreira, G., DiazCintra, S.,and Pacheco-Lopez, G. (2017) Palatable hypercaloric foods impacts on neural plasticity. Frontiers Behav.Neuroscience. doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00019  http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00019/full)

• Rodriguez-Callejas, J., Fuchs, E., Perez-Cruz, C. (2016) Evidence of tau hyperphosphorylation and dystrophic microglia in common marmoset. Frontiers Aging Neuroscience. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2016.00315 

  http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnagi.2016.00315/full

   

• Avila-Nava, A., Noriega, L., Tovar, A., Granados, O., Perez-Cruz, C., Pedraza-Chaveri, J., Torres, N. (2016). Consumption of a pre-hispanic Mexican diet decreases metabolic and 3 | 3 cognitive abnormalities and gut microbiota dysbiosis caused by a sucrose-enriched high fat diet in rats. Mol. Nutr. Food Res. 00, 1–13.

  http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mnfr.201501023/epdf

   

• Claudia Perez-Cruz and Sofía Díaz-Miranda (2015) Editorial: Nutrition and Prevention of Alzheimer´s disease. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience. Front Aging Neurosci. 2015; 7: 170. doi: 10.3389/fnagi. 10.3389 doi 10.1002/mnfr.201501023

  http://journal.frontiersin.org/researchtopic/1179/nutrition-and-prevention-of-alzheimers-disease

   

• Perez-Cruz C, Nolte MW, van Gaalen MM, Rustay NR, Termont A, Tanghe A, Kirchhoff F, Ebert U. (2011) Reduced spine density in specific regions of CA1 pyramidal neurons in two transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer’s Disease. Journal of Neuroscience 31(10):3926-34.
  
  
• Heinz Hillen, Stefan Barghorn, Andreas Striebinger, Boris Labkovsky, Reinhold Müller, Volker Nimmrich, Marc W. Nolte, Claudia Perez-Cruz, Ingrid van der Auwera, Fred van Leuven, Marcel van Gaalen, Anton Y. Bespalov, Hans Schoemaker, James P. Sullivan, Ulrich Ebert (2010) “Generation and therapeutic efficacy of highly oligomer-specific Aβ antibodies” Journal of Neurosciences (31):10369-79
  
  
• Perez-Cruz, C., Simon, M., Flügge, G., Fuchs, E. Czeh, B., (2009) “Diurnal rhythm and stress regulate dendritic architecture and spine density of pyramidal neurons in the rat infralimbic cortex”. Behavioral Brain Research; 205(2):406-13
  
  
• Perez-Cruz, C., Simon, M., Czeh, B., Flügge, G., Fuchs, E. (2009) “Hemispheric differences in basilar dendrites and spines of pyramidal neurons in the rat prelimbic cortex: activity- and stress-induced changes”. European Journal of Neurosciences; 29 (4):738-47
  
  
• Czeh, B., Perez-Cruz, C., Fuchs, E. and G. Flügge (2008) Chronic stress-induced cellular changes in the medial prefrontal cortex and their potential clinical implications: Does hemisphere location matter? Behavioral Brain Research; 190(1):1-13
  
  
• Perez-Cruz, C., Muller-Keuker, J., Heilbronner, U., Fuchs, E., Flügge, G. (2007) “Morphology of pyramidal cells in the left and the right prefrontal cortex and sub-area specific dendritic remodeling after chronic restraint stress”. Neural Plasticity 2007:46276