# APOE genotype effects on triglycerides and blood flow in the human brain

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · 2020 · $287,326

## Abstract

7. PROJECT SUMMARY
The 'Western diet' characterized by high fat feeding (HFF) is a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD).
However, individuals who carry the AD risk gene APOE ε4 (E4) respond differently to high fat feeding (HFF) in
terms of several metabolic and cognitive responses. We present evidence that arterial spin labeling (ASL) MRI
is an effective non-invasive method to evaluate acute changes in total and regional cerebral blood flow (∆CBF).
We will propose a clinical study in older adults involving ingestion of a high fat drink to test the prediction that
E4 carriers will show higher CBF in response to HFF compared to fasting, whereas E4 non-carriers will show
lower CBF. We will further examine regional differences in ∆CBF with emphasis on brain regions known to be
involved in AD pathogenesis, and we will conduct cognitive testing on all participants to explore relationships
between CBF and fluid measures of cognition. With this proposal we will also investigate whether peripheral
metabolic measures of glucose tolerance and body composition predict ∆CBF, and whether E4 status
influences those predictions. This intervention will be done in parallel with lipidomic and metabolomic analyses
of cerebrospinal fluid from an ongoing study of older adults after ingestion of a high fat meal with similar lipid
content to the high fat drink. With these studies we hope to gain a more in-depth understanding of how HFF
exerts influence on brain function and metabolism for E4 carriers and non-carriers, and identify brain regions
which are particularly vulnerable to the acute effects of HFF.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9975494
- **Project number:** 1R01AG067563-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Angela Jean Hanson
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $287,326
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-05-01 → 2025-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9975494

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9975494, APOE genotype effects on triglycerides and blood flow in the human brain (1R01AG067563-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9975494. Licensed CC0.

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