Brain mitochondrial dysfunction as a link between Alzheimer's disease and diabetes.

It has been argued that in late-onset Alzheimer's disease a disturbance in the control of neuronal glucose metabolism consequent to impaired insulin signalling strongly resembles the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes in non-neural tissue. The fact that mitochondria are the major generators and direct targets of reactive oxygen species led several investigators to foster the idea that oxidative stress and damage in mitochondria are contributory factors to several disorders including Alzheimer's disease and diabetes. Since brain possesses high energetic requirements, any decline in brain mitochondria electron chain could have a severe impact on brain function and particularly on the etiology of neurodegenerative diseases. This review is primarily focused in the discussion of brain mitochondrial dysfunction as a link between diabetes and Alzheimer's disease.