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Collins HM, Greenfield S. Rodent Models of Alzheimer's Disease: Past Misconceptions and Future Prospects. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6222. [PMID: 38892408 PMCID: PMC11172947 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25116222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with no effective treatments, not least due to the lack of authentic animal models. Typically, rodent models recapitulate the effects but not causes of AD, such as cholinergic neuron loss: lesioning of cholinergic neurons mimics the cognitive decline reminiscent of AD but not its neuropathology. Alternative models rely on the overexpression of genes associated with familial AD, such as amyloid precursor protein, or have genetically amplified expression of mutant tau. Yet transgenic rodent models poorly replicate the neuropathogenesis and protein overexpression patterns of sporadic AD. Seeding rodents with amyloid or tau facilitates the formation of these pathologies but cannot account for their initial accumulation. Intracerebral infusion of proinflammatory agents offer an alternative model, but these fail to replicate the cause of AD. A novel model is therefore needed, perhaps similar to those used for Parkinson's disease, namely adult wildtype rodents with neuron-specific (dopaminergic) lesions within the same vulnerable brainstem nuclei, 'the isodendritic core', which are the first to degenerate in AD. Site-selective targeting of these nuclei in adult rodents may recapitulate the initial neurodegenerative processes in AD to faithfully mimic its pathogenesis and progression, ultimately leading to presymptomatic biomarkers and preventative therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen M. Collins
- Neuro-Bio Ltd., Building F5 The Culham Campus, Abingdon OX14 3DB, UK;
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2
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Lee MK, Chen G. Loss of Cholinergic and Monoaminergic Afferents in APPswe/PS1ΔE9 Transgenic Mouse Model of Cerebral Amyloidosis Preferentially Occurs Near Amyloid Plaques. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:5004. [PMID: 38732223 PMCID: PMC11084680 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25095004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by a loss of neurons in the cortex and subcortical regions. Previously, we showed that the progressive degeneration of subcortical monoaminergic (MAergic) neurons seen in human AD is recapitulated in the APPswe/PS1ΔE9 (APP/PS) transgenic mouse model. Because degeneration of cholinergic (Ach) neurons is also a prominent feature of AD, we examined the integrity of the Ach system in the APP/PS model. The overall density of Ach fibers is reduced in APP/PS1 mice at 12 and 18 months of age but not at 4 months of age. Analysis of basal forebrain Ach neurons shows no loss of Ach neurons in the APP/PS model. Thus, since MAergic systems show overt cell loss at 18 months of age, the Ach system is less vulnerable to neurodegeneration in the APP/PS1 model. We also examined whether the proximity to Aβ deposition affected the degeneration of Ach and 5-HT afferents. We found that the areas closer to the edges of compact Aβ deposits exhibit a more severe loss of afferents than the areas that are more distal to Aβ deposits. Collectively, the results indicate that the APP/PS model recapitulates the degeneration of multiple subcortical neurotransmitter systems, including the Ach system. In addition, the results indicate that Aβ deposits cause global as well as local toxicity to subcortical afferents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael K. Lee
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Gang Chen
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
- Institute for Personalized Medicine in Brain Disorders, The Guangdong-Hongkong-Macao Joint Laboratory of TCM on Brain-Peripheral Homeostasis and Comprehensive Health, School of Chinese Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
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Jin M, Wei Z, Ramalingam N, Xiao M, Xu A, Yu X, Song Q, Liu W, Zhao J, Zhang D, Selkoe DJ, Li S. Activation of β 2-adrenergic receptors prevents AD-type synaptotoxicity via epigenetic mechanisms. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:4877-4888. [PMID: 37365243 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02145-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
We previously reported that prolonged exposure to an enriched environment (EE) enhances hippocampal synaptic plasticity, with one of the significant mechanistic pathways being activation of β2-adrenergic receptor (β2-AR) signaling, thereby mitigating the synaptotoxic effects of soluble oligomers of amyloid β-protein (oAβ). However, the detailed mechanism remained elusive. In this work, we recorded field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSP) in the CA1 region of mouse hippocampal slices treated with or without toxic Aβ-species. We found that pharmacological activation of β2-AR, but not β1-AR, selectively mimicked the effects of EE in enhancing LTP and preventing oAβ-induced synaptic dysfunction. Mechanistic analyses showed that certain histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors mimicked the benefits of EE, but this was not seen in β2-AR knockout mice, suggesting that activating β2-AR prevents oAβ-mediated synaptic dysfunction via changes in histone acetylation. EE or activation of β-ARs each decreased HDAC2, whereas Aβ oligomers increased HDAC2 levels in the hippocampus. Further, oAβ-induced inflammatory effects and neurite degeneration were prevented by either β2-AR agonists or certain specific HDAC inhibitors. These preclinical results suggest that activation of β2-AR is a novel potential therapeutic strategy to mitigate oAβ-mediated features of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Jin
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Zhiyun Wei
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Nagendran Ramalingam
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Meng Xiao
- Department of Neurology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453100, China
- Shenzhen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, 518172, China
| | - Anqi Xu
- Department of Neurology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453100, China
| | - Xiaohan Yu
- Department of Neurology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453100, China
| | - Qingyang Song
- Department of Neurology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453100, China
| | - Wen Liu
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Jianhua Zhao
- Department of Neurology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453100, China
- Henan Key Laboratory of Neurorestoratology, Xinxiang, Henan, 453100, China
| | - Dainan Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453100, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100070, China
| | - Dennis J Selkoe
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Shaomin Li
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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Infantino R, Boccella S, Scuteri D, Perrone M, Ricciardi F, Vitale R, Bonsale R, Parente A, Allocca I, Virtuoso A, De Luca C, Belardo C, Amodeo P, Gentile V, Cirillo G, Bagetta G, Luongo L, Maione S, Guida F. 2-pentadecyl-2-oxazoline prevents cognitive and social behaviour impairments in the Amyloid β-induced Alzheimer-like mice model: Bring the α2 adrenergic receptor back into play. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 156:113844. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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Chai GS, Wu JJ, Gong J, Zhou JL, Jiang ZQ, Yi HY, Gu Y, Huang HH, Yao ZY, Zhang YQ, Zhao P, Nie YJ. Activation of β2-adrenergic Receptor Ameliorates Amyloid-β-induced Mitophagy Defects and Tau Pathology in Mice. Neuroscience 2022; 505:34-50. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
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Dave P, Goldgof D, Hall LO, Kolinko Y, Allen K, Alahmari S, Mouton PR. A disector-based framework for the automatic optical fractionator. J Chem Neuroanat 2022; 124:102134. [PMID: 35839940 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2022.102134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Stereology-based methods provide the current state-of-the-art approaches for accurate quantification of numbers and other morphometric parameters of biological objects in stained tissue sections. The advent of artificial intelligence (AI)-based deep learning (DL) offers the possibility of improving throughput by automating the collection of stereology data. We have recently shown that DL can effectively achieve comparable accuracy to manual stereology but with higher repeatability, improved throughput, and less variation due to human factors by quantifying the total number of immunostained cells at their maximal profile of focus in extended depth of field (EDF) images. In the first of two novel contributions in this work, we propose a semi-automatic approach using a handcrafted Adaptive Segmentation Algorithm (ASA) to automatically generate ground truth on EDF images for training our deep learning (DL) models to automatically count cells using unbiased stereology methods. This update increases the amount of training data, thereby improving the accuracy and efficiency of automatic cell counting methods, without a requirement for extra expert time. The second contribution of this work is a Multi-channel Input and Multi-channel Output (MIMO) method using a U-Net deep learning architecture for automatic cell counting in a stack of z-axis images (also known as disector stacks). This DL-based digital automation of the ordinary optical fractionator ensures accurate counts through spatial separation of stained cells in the z-plane, thereby avoiding false negatives from overlapping cells in EDF images without the shortcomings of 3D and recurrent DL models. The contribution overcomes the issue of under-counting errors with EDF images due to overlapping cells in the z-plane (masking). We demonstrate the practical applications of these advances with automatic disector-based estimates of the total number of NeuN-immunostained neurons in a mouse neocortex. In summary, this work provides the first demonstration of automatic estimation of a total cell number in tissue sections using a combination of deep learning and the disector-based optical fractionator method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Palak Dave
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA.
| | - Dmitry Goldgof
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA
| | - Lawrence O Hall
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA
| | - Yaroslav Kolinko
- Department of Histology & Embryology and Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Pilsen, Czech Republic
| | - Kurtis Allen
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA
| | - Saeed Alahmari
- Department of Computer Science, Najran University, Najran, 66462, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Peter R Mouton
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA; SRC Biosciences, Tampa FL, 33606, USA
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Tripathi S, Mazumder PM. Neuroprotective Efficacy of Apple Cider Vinegar on Zinc-High Fat Diet-Induced Mono Amine Oxidase Alteration in Murine Model of AD. J Am Coll Nutr 2021; 41:658-667. [PMID: 34323669 DOI: 10.1080/07315724.2021.1948933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Monoamine Oxidase (MAO), which catalyzes the oxidative deamination of amines present in the brain and peripheral tissues, is involved in the metabolism of monoamines and is vital for cognition. This study was designed to examine the protective effect of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) on MAO and amine neurotransmitters such as dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT), non-adrenaline (NA) levels. METHOD In this experiment, out of five groups, three groups of animals were pretreated with one of the test drugs each i.e., Chrysin (10 mg/kg), ACV (0.7% v/v) and Rivastigmine (2.5 mg/kg) along with Zn with high fat diet (HFD) for 3 months and the rest two groups were that of control and disease induced. After the treatment period, mice were examined for MAO-A & B, DA, 5-HT and NA level estimation. RESULTS The results showed that Zn with HFD had induced a significant increase (p < 0.01, p < 0.001) in MAO-A & B levels and a significant decrease (p < 0.001) in the levels of 5-HT, DA, and NA. Pretreatment of test drugs with Zn with HFD caused a restoration activity and a significant decrease (p < 0.01, p < 0.05) in MAO-A & B levels and a significant increase (p < 0.05, p < 0.01, p < 0.001) in the level of DA, 5HT and NA as compared to the Zn treated group. Amongst all three test drugs mentioned above, the ACV-treated group showed the most improvement during pretreatment. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that ACV, might prove to be a beneficial nutraceutical & provide a protective effect against Alzheimer's disease (AD)-like neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Smriti Tripathi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Technology, Birla Institute of Technology, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India
| | - Papiya Mitra Mazumder
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Technology, Birla Institute of Technology, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India
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Nodari A, Scambi I, Peroni D, Calabria E, Benati D, Mannucci S, Manfredi M, Frontini A, Visonà S, Bozzato A, Sbarbati A, Schena F, Marengo E, Krampera M, Galiè M. Interferon regulatory factor 7 impairs cellular metabolism in aging adipose-derived stromal cells. J Cell Sci 2021; 134:jcs256230. [PMID: 34096605 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.256230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Dysregulated immunity and widespread metabolic dysfunctions are the most relevant hallmarks of the passing of time over the course of adult life, and their combination at midlife is strongly related to increased vulnerability to diseases; however, the causal connection between them remains largely unclear. By combining multi-omics and functional analyses of adipose-derived stromal cells established from young (1 month) and midlife (12 months) mice, we show that an increase in expression of interferon regulatory factor 7 (IRF7) during adult life drives major metabolic changes, which include impaired mitochondrial function, altered amino acid biogenesis and reduced expression of genes involved in branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) degradation. Our results draw a new paradigm of aging as the 'sterile' activation of a cell-autonomous pathway of self-defense and identify a crucial mediator of this pathway, IRF7, as driver of metabolic dysfunction with age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Nodari
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement, Section of Anatomy and Histology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Ilaria Scambi
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement, Section of Anatomy and Histology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Daniele Peroni
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Elisa Calabria
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement, Section of Anatomy and Histology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Donatella Benati
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement, Section of Anatomy and Histology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Silvia Mannucci
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement, Section of Anatomy and Histology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Marcello Manfredi
- Department of Sciences and Technological Innovation, University of Piemonte Orientale, 28100 Alessandria, Italy
- Center for Translational Research on Autoimmune and Allergic Disease - CAAD, University of Piemonte Orientale, 28100 Novara, Italy
| | - Andrea Frontini
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, 20121 Ancona, Italy
| | - Silvia Visonà
- Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Andrea Bozzato
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Andrea Sbarbati
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement, Section of Anatomy and Histology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Federico Schena
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement, Section of Anatomy and Histology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Emilio Marengo
- Department of Sciences and Technological Innovation, University of Piemonte Orientale, 28100 Alessandria, Italy
- Center for Translational Research on Autoimmune and Allergic Disease - CAAD, University of Piemonte Orientale, 28100 Novara, Italy
| | - Mauro Krampera
- Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology, Stem Cell Research Laboratory, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Mirco Galiè
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement, Section of Anatomy and Histology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
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Nakai T, Yamada K, Mizoguchi H. Alzheimer's Disease Animal Models: Elucidation of Biomarkers and Therapeutic Approaches for Cognitive Impairment. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22115549. [PMID: 34074018 PMCID: PMC8197360 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22115549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an age-related and progressive neurodegenerative disorder. It is widely accepted that AD is mainly caused by the accumulation of extracellular amyloid β (Aβ) and intracellular neurofibrillary tau tangles. Aβ begins to accumulate years before the onset of cognitive impairment, suggesting that the benefit of currently available interventions would be greater if they were initiated in the early phases of AD. To understand the mechanisms of AD pathogenesis, various transgenic mouse models with an accelerated accumulation of Aβ and tau tangles have been developed. However, none of these models exhibit all pathologies present in human AD. To overcome these undesirable phenotypes, APP knock-in mice, which were presented with touchscreen-based tasks, were developed to better evaluate the efficacy of candidate therapeutics in mouse models of early-stage AD. This review assesses several AD mouse models from the aspect of biomarkers and cognitive impairment and discusses their potential as tools to provide novel AD therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsuyoshi Nakai
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8560, Japan; (T.N.); (K.Y.)
| | - Kiyofumi Yamada
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8560, Japan; (T.N.); (K.Y.)
| | - Hiroyuki Mizoguchi
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8560, Japan; (T.N.); (K.Y.)
- Medical Interactive Research and Academia Industry Collaboration Center, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-52-744-2674; Fax: +81-52-744-2979
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Keenan RJ, Oberrauch S, Bron R, Nowell CJ, Challis LM, Hoyer D, Jacobson LH. Decreased Orexin Receptor 1 mRNA Expression in the Locus Coeruleus in Both Tau Transgenic rTg4510 and Tau Knockout Mice and Accompanying Ascending Arousal System Tau Invasion in rTg4510. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 79:693-708. [PMID: 33361602 DOI: 10.3233/jad-201177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sleep/wake disturbances (e.g., insomnia and sleep fragmentation) are common in neurodegenerative disorders, especially Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). These symptoms are somewhat reminiscent of narcolepsy with cataplexy, caused by the loss of orexin-producing neurons. A bidirectional relationship between sleep disturbance and disease pathology suggests a detrimental cycle that accelerates disease progression and cognitive decline. The accumulation of brain tau fibrils is a core pathology of AD and FTD-tau and clinical evidence supports that tau may impair the orexin system in AD/FTD. This hypothesis was investigated using tau mutant mice. OBJECTIVE To characterize orexin receptor mRNA expression in sleep/wake regulatory brain centers and quantify noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC) and orexinergic lateral hypothalamus (LH) neurons, in tau transgenic rTg4510 and tau-/- mice. METHODS We used i n situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry (IHC) in rTg4510 and tau-/- mice. RESULTS rTg4510 and tau-/- mice exhibited a similar decrease in orexin receptor 1 (OX1R) mRNA expression in the LC compared with wildtype controls. IHC data indicated this was not due to decreased numbers of LC tyrosine hydroxylase-positive (TH) or orexin neurons and demonstrated that tau invades TH LC and orexinergic LH neurons in rTg4510 mice. In contrast, orexin receptor 2 (OX2R) mRNA levels were unaffected in either model. CONCLUSION The LC is strongly implicated in the regulation of sleep/wakefulness and expresses high levels of OX1R. These findings raise interesting questions regarding the effects of altered tau on the orexin system, specifically LC OX1Rs, and emphasize a potential mechanism which may help explain sleep/wake disturbances in AD and FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan J Keenan
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sara Oberrauch
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Romke Bron
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Cameron J Nowell
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Leesa M Challis
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Daniel Hoyer
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Laura H Jacobson
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Melbourne Dementia Research Centre, University of Melbourne, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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Neuron Loss in Alzheimer's Disease: Translation in Transgenic Mouse Models. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21218144. [PMID: 33143374 PMCID: PMC7663280 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21218144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Transgenic mouse models represent an essential tool for the exploration of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathological mechanisms and the development of novel treatments, which at present provide only symptomatic and transient effects. While a variety of mouse models successfully reflects the main neuropathological hallmarks of AD, such as extracellular amyloid-β (Aβ) deposits, intracellular accumulation of Tau protein, the development of micro- and astrogliosis, as well as behavioral deficits, substantial neuron loss, as a key feature of the disease, seems to be more difficult to achieve. In this review, we summarize information on classic and more recent transgenic mouse models for AD, focusing in particular on loss of pyramidal, inter-, and cholinergic neurons. Although the cause of neuron loss in AD is still a matter of scientific debate, it seems to be linked to intraneuronal Aβ accumulation in several transgenic mouse models, especially in pyramidal neurons.
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Özcan GG, Lim S, Leighton PLA, Allison WT, Rihel J. Sleep is bi-directionally modified by amyloid beta oligomers. eLife 2020; 9:53995. [PMID: 32660691 PMCID: PMC7360368 DOI: 10.7554/elife.53995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Disrupted sleep is a major feature of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), often arising years before symptoms of cognitive decline. Prolonged wakefulness exacerbates the production of amyloid-beta (Aβ) species, a major driver of AD progression, suggesting that sleep loss further accelerates AD through a vicious cycle. However, the mechanisms by which Aβ affects sleep are unknown. We demonstrate in zebrafish that Aβ acutely and reversibly enhances or suppresses sleep as a function of oligomer length. Genetic disruptions revealed that short Aβ oligomers induce acute wakefulness through Adrenergic receptor b2 (Adrb2) and Progesterone membrane receptor component 1 (Pgrmc1), while longer Aβ forms induce sleep through a pharmacologically tractable Prion Protein (PrP) signaling cascade. Our data indicate that Aβ can trigger a bi-directional sleep/wake switch. Alterations to the brain’s Aβ oligomeric milieu, such as during the progression of AD, may therefore disrupt sleep via changes in acute signaling events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Güliz Gürel Özcan
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, UCL, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sumi Lim
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, UCL, London, United Kingdom
| | - Patricia LA Leighton
- Centre for Prions & Protein Folding Disease, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - W Ted Allison
- Centre for Prions & Protein Folding Disease, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Jason Rihel
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, UCL, London, United Kingdom
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Martínez-González K, Islas-Hernández A, Martínez-Ezquerro JD, Bermúdez-Rattoni F, Garcia-delaTorre P. Telomere length and oxidative stress variations in a murine model of Alzheimer's disease progression. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 52:4863-4874. [PMID: 32594585 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia, and ageing is its major risk factor. Changes in telomere length have been associated with ageing and some degenerative diseases. Our aim was to explore some of the molecular changes caused by the progression of AD in a transgenic murine model (3xTg-AD; B6; 129-Psen1 <tm1Mpm> Tg (APPSwe, tauP301L) 1Lfa). Telomere length was assessed by qPCR in both brain tissue and peripheral blood cells and compared between three age groups: 5, 9 and 13 months. In addition, a possible effect of oxidative stress on telomere length and AD progression was explored. Shorter telomeres were found in blood cells of older transgenic mice compared to younger and wild-type mice but no changes in telomere length in the hippocampus. An increase in oxidative stress with age was found for all strains, but no correlation was found between oxidative stress and shorter telomere length for transgenic mice. Telomere length and oxidative stress are affected by AD progression in the 3xTg-AD murine model. Changes in blood cells are more noticeable than changes in brain tissue, suggesting that systemic changes can be detected early in the disease in this murine model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katia Martínez-González
- Unidad de Investigación Médica en Enfermedades Neurológicas, Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Ciudad de Mexico, México.,Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, CDMX, Coyoacán, México
| | - Azul Islas-Hernández
- Unidad de Investigación Médica en Enfermedades Neurológicas, Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Ciudad de Mexico, México.,Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, CDMX, Coyoacán, México
| | - José Darío Martínez-Ezquerro
- Unidad de Investigación Epidemiológica y en Servicios de Salud, Área de Envejecimiento, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, México City, México
| | - Federico Bermúdez-Rattoni
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, División de Neurociencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, CDMX, Mexico
| | - Paola Garcia-delaTorre
- Unidad de Investigación Médica en Enfermedades Neurológicas, Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Ciudad de Mexico, México
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14
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Colzato L, Beste C. A literature review on the neurophysiological underpinnings and cognitive effects of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation: challenges and future directions. J Neurophysiol 2020; 123:1739-1755. [PMID: 32208895 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00057.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain stimulation approaches are important to gain causal mechanistic insights into the relevance of functional brain regions and/or neurophysiological systems for human cognitive functions. In recent years, transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) has attracted considerable popularity. It is a noninvasive brain stimulation technique based on the stimulation of the vagus nerve. The stimulation of this nerve activates subcortical nuclei, such as the locus coeruleus and the nucleus of the solitary tract, and from there, the activation propagates to the cortex. Since tVNS is a novel stimulation technique, this literature review outlines a brief historical background of tVNS, before detailing underlying neurophysiological mechanisms of action, stimulation parameters, cognitive effects of tVNS on healthy humans, and, lastly, current challenges and future directions of tVNS research in cognitive functions. Although more research is needed, we conclude that tVNS, by increasing norepineprine (NE) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels, affects NE- and GABA-related cognitive performance. The review provides detailed background information how to use tVNS as a neuromodulatory tool in cognitive neuroscience and outlines important future leads of research on tVNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenza Colzato
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.,Cognitive Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Christian Beste
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Cognitive Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
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15
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Clement A, Wiborg O, Asuni AA. Steps Towards Developing Effective Treatments for Neuropsychiatric Disturbances in Alzheimer's Disease: Insights From Preclinical Models, Clinical Data, and Future Directions. Front Aging Neurosci 2020; 12:56. [PMID: 32210790 PMCID: PMC7068814 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.00056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia worldwide. It is mostly known for its devastating effect on memory and learning but behavioral alterations commonly known as neuropsychiatric disturbances (NPDs) are also characteristics of the disease. These include apathy, depression-like behavior, and sleep disturbances, and they all contribute to an increased caregiver burden and earlier institutionalization. The interaction between NPDs and AD pathology is not well understood, but the consensus is that they contribute to disease progression and faster decline. Consequently, recognizing and treating NPDs might improve AD pathology and increase the quality of life for both patients and caregivers. In this review article, we examine previous and current literature on apathy, depressive symptoms, and sleep disturbances in AD patients and preclinical AD mechanistic models. We hypothesize that tau accumulation, beta-amyloid (Aβ) aggregation, neuroinflammation, mitochondrial damage, and loss of the locus coeruleus (LC)-norepinephrine (NE) system all collectively impact the development of NPDs and contribute synergistically to AD pathology. Targeting more than one of these processes might provide the most optimal strategy for treating NPDs and AD. The development of such clinical approaches would be preceded by preclinical studies, for which robust and reliable mechanistic models of NPD-like behavior are needed. Thus, developing effective preclinical research models represents an important step towards a better understanding of NPDs in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amalie Clement
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Department of Health, Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
- Department of Physiology and Symptoms, H. Lundbeck A/S, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ove Wiborg
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Department of Health, Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Ayodeji A. Asuni
- Department of Physiology and Symptoms, H. Lundbeck A/S, Copenhagen, Denmark
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16
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Kosel F, Pelley JMS, Franklin TB. Behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease-related pathology. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 112:634-647. [PMID: 32070692 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Revised: 02/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Transgenic mouse models have been used extensively to model the cognitive impairments arising from Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related pathology. However, less is known about the relationship between AD-related pathology and the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) commonly presented by patients. This review discusses the BPSD-like behaviours recapitulated by several mouse models of AD-related pathology, including the APP/PS1, Tg2576, 3xTg-AD, 5xFAD, and APP23 models. Current evidence suggests that social withdrawal and depressive-like behaviours increase with progressive neuropathology, and increased aggression and sleep-wake disturbances are present even at early stages; however, there is no clear evidence to support increased anxiety-like behaviours, agitation (hyperactivity), or general apathy. Overall, transgenic mouse models of AD-related pathology recapitulate some of the BPSD-like behaviours associated with AD, but these behaviours vary by model. This reflects the patient population, where AD patients typically exhibit one or more BPSD, but rarely all symptoms at once. As a result, we suggest that transgenic mouse models are an important tool to investigate the pathology underlying BPSD in human AD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filip Kosel
- The Social Lab, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Jessica M S Pelley
- The Social Lab, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Tamara B Franklin
- The Social Lab, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, B3H 4R2, Canada.
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17
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Kosel F, Hamilton JS, Harrison SL, Godin V, Franklin TB. Reduced social investigation and increased injurious behavior in transgenic 5xFAD mice. J Neurosci Res 2020; 99:209-222. [PMID: 31912571 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2019] [Revised: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Social withdrawal and agitation/aggression are common behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia presented by Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, with males exhibiting more aggressive behaviors than females. Some transgenic mouse models of AD also exhibit social withdrawal and aggression, but many of these models only recapitulate the early stages of the disease. By comparison, the 5xFAD mouse model of AD exhibits rapid, progressive neurodegeneration, and is suitable for modeling cognitive and behavioral deficits at early, mid-, and late-stage disease progression. Anecdotal reports suggest that transgenic 5xFAD males exhibit high levels of aggression compared to wild-type controls, but to date, indirect genetic effects in this strain have not been studied. We measured home-cage behaviors in 5xFAD males housed in three different group-housing conditions (transgenic-only, wild-type only, and mixed-genotype) and social approach behaviors when exposed to a novel free-roaming or restrained, wild-type or transgenic conspecific. Transgenic-only home cages required earlier separation due to injuries arising from aggression compared to wild-type-only or mixed-genotype cages, despite no obvious increase in the frequency of aggressive behaviors. Transgenic 5xFAD males and females also spent less time investigating free-roaming conspecifics compared to wild-type controls, but they showed normal investigation of restrained conspecifics; the genotype of the conspecific did not affect approach behavior, and there was no aggression observed in transgenic males. These findings provide evidence in an animal model that amyloid pathology ultimately leads to avoidance of novel social stimuli, and that frequent interactions between individuals exhibiting an AD phenotype further exacerbates aggressive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filip Kosel
- The Social Lab, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Jacob S Hamilton
- The Social Lab, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Sarah L Harrison
- The Social Lab, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Victoria Godin
- The Social Lab, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Tamara B Franklin
- The Social Lab, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
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18
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Havekes R, Heckman PRA, Wams EJ, Stasiukonyte N, Meerlo P, Eisel ULM. Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis: The role of disturbed sleep in attenuated brain plasticity and neurodegenerative processes. Cell Signal 2019; 64:109420. [PMID: 31536750 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2019.109420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by cognitive impairments. The classical symptoms of the disease include gradual deterioration of memory and language. Epidemiological studies indicate that around 25-40% of AD patients have sleep-wake cycle disturbances. Importantly, a series of studies suggested that the relationship between AD and sleep disturbance may be complex and bidirectional. Indeed, accumulation of the extracellular neuronal protein amyloid-beta (Aβ) leads to altered sleep-wake behavior in both mice and humans. At the same time, disturbances of the normal sleep-wake cycle may facilitate AD pathogenesis. This paper will review the mechanisms underlying this potential interrelated connection including locus coeruleus damage, reductions in orexin neurotransmission, alterations in melatonin levels, and elevated cytokine levels. In addition, we will also highlight how both the development of AD and sleep disturbances lead to changes in intracellular signaling pathways involved in regulating neuronal plasticity and connectivity, particularly extremes in cofilin phosphorylation. Finally, current pharmacological and nonpharmacological therapeutic approaches will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robbert Havekes
- Neurobiology expertise group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Pim R A Heckman
- Neurobiology expertise group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Emma J Wams
- Neurobiology expertise group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Neringa Stasiukonyte
- Neurobiology expertise group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Peter Meerlo
- Neurobiology expertise group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Ulrich L M Eisel
- Neurobiology expertise group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
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19
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Cardillo GDM, De-Paula VDJR, Ikenaga EH, Costa LR, Catanozi S, Schaeffer EL, Gattaz WF, Kerr DS, Forlenza OV. Chronic Lithium Treatment Increases Telomere Length in Parietal Cortex and Hippocampus of Triple-Transgenic Alzheimer's Disease Mice. J Alzheimers Dis 2019; 63:93-101. [PMID: 29614649 DOI: 10.3233/jad-170838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Telomere length (TL) is a biomarker of cell aging, and its shortening has been linked to several age-related diseases. In Alzheimer's disease (AD), telomere shortening has been associated with neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. The majority of studies on TL in AD were based on leucocyte DNA, with little information about its status in the central nervous system. In addition to other neuroprotective effects, lithium has been implicated in the maintenance of TL. The present study aims to determine the effect of chronic lithium treatment on TL in different regions of the mouse brain, using a triple-transgenic mouse model (3xTg-AD). Eighteen transgenic and 22 wild-type (Wt) male mice were treated for eight months with chow containing 1.0 g (Li1) or 2.0 g (Li2) of lithium carbonate/kg, or standard chow (Li0). DNA was extracted from parietal cortex, hippocampus and olfactory epithelium and TL was quantified by real-time PCR. Chronic lithium treatment was associated with longer telomeres in the hippocampus (Li2, p = 0.0159) and in the parietal cortex (Li1, p = 0.0375) of 3xTg-AD compared to Wt. Our findings suggest that chronic lithium treatment does affect telomere maintenance, but the magnitude and nature of this effect depend on the working concentrations of lithium and characteristics of the tissue. This effect was observed when comparing 3xTg-AD with Wt mice, suggesting that the presence of AD pathology was required for the lithium modulation of TL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giancarlo de Mattos Cardillo
- Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM-27), Instituto de Psiquiatria do Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Vanessa de Jesus Rodrigues De-Paula
- Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM-27), Instituto de Psiquiatria do Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Laboratory of Psysbio (LIM-23), Instituto de Psiquiatria do Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Eliza Hiromi Ikenaga
- Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM-27), Instituto de Psiquiatria do Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Luciana Rodrigues Costa
- Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM-27), Instituto de Psiquiatria do Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Sergio Catanozi
- Lipids Laboratory (LIM-10), Endocrinology and Metabolism Division of Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Evelin Lisete Schaeffer
- Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM-27), Instituto de Psiquiatria do Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Wagner Farid Gattaz
- Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM-27), Instituto de Psiquiatria do Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Daniel Shikanai Kerr
- Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM-27), Instituto de Psiquiatria do Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Instituto Federal de Educacao, Ciencia e Tecnologia Catarinense-Campus Camboriu, Camboriu, SC, Brazil
| | - Orestes Vicente Forlenza
- Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM-27), Instituto de Psiquiatria do Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
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20
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Farrar MJ, Kolkman KE, Fetcho JR. Features of the structure, development, and activity of the zebrafish noradrenergic system explored in new CRISPR transgenic lines. J Comp Neurol 2018; 526:2493-2508. [PMID: 30070695 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Revised: 07/24/2018] [Accepted: 07/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The noradrenergic (NA) system of vertebrates is implicated in learning, memory, arousal, and neuroinflammatory responses, but is difficult to access experimentally. Small and optically transparent, larval zebrafish offer the prospect of exploration of NA structure and function in an intact animal. We made multiple transgenic zebrafish lines using the CRISPR/Cas9 system to insert fluorescent reporters upstream of slc6a2, the norepinephrine transporter gene. These lines faithfully express reporters in NA cell populations, including the locus coeruleus (LC), which contains only about 14 total neurons. We used the lines in combination with two-photon microscopy to explore the structure and projections of the NA system in the context of the columnar organization of cell types in the zebrafish hindbrain. We found robust alignment of NA projections with glutamatergic neurotransmitter stripes in some hindbrain segments, suggesting orderly relations to neuronal cell types early in life. We also quantified neurite density in the rostral spinal cord in individual larvae with as much as 100% difference in the number of LC neurons, and found no correlation between neuronal number in the LC and projection density in the rostral spinal cord. Finally, using light sheet microscopy, we performed bilateral calcium imaging of the entire LC. We found that large-amplitude calcium responses were evident in all LC neurons and showed bilateral synchrony, whereas small-amplitude events were more likely to show interhemispheric asynchrony, supporting the potential for targeted LC neuromodulation. Our observations and new transgenic lines set the stage for a deeper understanding of the NA system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Farrar
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.,Department of Math, Physics and Statistics, Messiah College, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
| | - Kristine E Kolkman
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Joseph R Fetcho
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
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21
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Bassey RB, Gondré-Lewis MC. Combined early life stressors: Prenatal nicotine and maternal deprivation interact to influence affective and drug seeking behavioral phenotypes in rats. Behav Brain Res 2018; 359:814-822. [PMID: 30055209 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.07.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Revised: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Early life stress (ELS) increases the risk for later cognitive and emotional dysfunction, and has been implicated in the etiology of multiple psychiatric disorders. We hypothesize that combined insults during gestation and infancy, critical periods of neural development, could exacerbate neuropsychiatric outcomes in later life. Thus, we investigated the effects of maternal deprivation (MD) stress alone or combined with prenatal nicotine exposure (PNE) on negative affective states, ethanol drinking, and development of mesolimbic loci that regulate depression and drug dependence. On the elevated plus maze (EPM), MD rats exhibited ∼50% increase in risk-taking behavior/decreased anxiety when compared to control, but the combined MD + PNE did not affect this specific behavior. In the open field test, however, both MD and MD + PNE groups showed 2-fold greater locomotor activity. Furthermore, whereas MD showed greater latency to fall at 40 RPM on the rotarod compared to control, the MD + PNE animals' latency to fall was significantly greater at all RPMs tested, with an approximate 15% enhancement in motor coordination overall compared to control and MD. Analyses of depressive symptomatology with the forced swim test (FST) yielded 2- and 3-fold higher immobility times in MD and MD + PNE respectively. When tested in an operant drinking paradigm to quantify the effect of treatment on 10%v/v ethanol drinking, the MD and MD + PNE groups showed heightened ethanol consumption by ∼3- and 2-fold respectively. However, the experience of PNE reduced ethanol consumption in adults relative to MD alone. To test the stressors' impact on neurons in the amygdala and ventral tegmental area (VTA), mesolimbic anatomical regions associated with mood and reward, unbiased stereological measurements were performed and revealed ∼15% increase in number and density of neurons in the amygdala for both MD and MD + PNE, and ∼13% reduction in dopaminergic-like neurons in the VTA compared to control. We report here that multiple early stressors including prenatal nicotine and MD can modulate the neuroanatomy of the amygdala and VTA. These early life stressors can interact to influence the development of depressive-like and addictive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosemary B Bassey
- Department of Anatomy, Howard University, College of Medicine, Washington D.C. 20059, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Howard University, College of Medicine, Washington D.C. 20059, USA
| | - Marjorie C Gondré-Lewis
- Department of Anatomy, Howard University, College of Medicine, Washington D.C. 20059, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Howard University, College of Medicine, Washington D.C. 20059, USA.
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22
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Holingue C, Wennberg A, Berger S, Polotsky VY, Spira AP. Disturbed sleep and diabetes: A potential nexus of dementia risk. Metabolism 2018; 84:85-93. [PMID: 29409842 PMCID: PMC5995651 DOI: 10.1016/j.metabol.2018.01.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2017] [Revised: 01/19/2018] [Accepted: 01/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and sleep disturbance (e.g., insomnia, sleep-disordered breathing) are prevalent conditions among older adults that are associated with cognitive decline and dementia, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Importantly, disturbed sleep is associated with alterations in insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism, and may increase the risk of T2D, and T2D-related complications (e.g., pain, nocturia) can negatively affect sleep. Despite these associations, little is known about how interactions between T2D and sleep disturbance might alter cognitive trajectories or the pathological changes that underlie dementia. Here, we review links among T2D, sleep disturbance, cognitive decline and dementia-including preclinical and clinical AD-and identify gaps in the literature, that if addressed, could have significant implications for the prevention of poor cognitive outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Calliope Holingue
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, United States.
| | - Alexandra Wennberg
- Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States.
| | - Slava Berger
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, United States.
| | - Vsevolod Y Polotsky
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, United States.
| | - Adam P Spira
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, United States; Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health, United States.
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23
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Cellular Receptors of Amyloid β Oligomers (AβOs) in Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19071884. [PMID: 29954063 PMCID: PMC6073792 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19071884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2018] [Revised: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
It is estimated that Alzheimer’s disease (AD) affects tens of millions of people, comprising not only suffering patients, but also their relatives and caregivers. AD is one of age-related neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) characterized by progressive synaptic damage and neuronal loss, which result in gradual cognitive impairment leading to dementia. The cause of AD remains still unresolved, despite being studied for more than a century. The hallmark pathological features of this disease are senile plaques within patients’ brain composed of amyloid beta (Aβ) and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) of Tau protein. However, the roles of Aβ and Tau in AD pathology are being questioned and other causes of AD are postulated. One of the most interesting theories proposed is the causative role of amyloid β oligomers (AβOs) aggregation in the pathogenesis of AD. Moreover, binding of AβOs to cell membranes is probably mediated by certain proteins on the neuronal cell surface acting as AβO receptors. The aim of our paper is to describe alternative hypotheses of AD etiology, including genetic alterations and the role of misfolded proteins, especially Aβ oligomers, in Alzheimer’s disease. Furthermore, in this review we present various putative cellular AβO receptors related to toxic activity of oligomers.
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24
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Napper RMA. Total Number Is Important: Using the Disector Method in Design-Based Stereology to Understand the Structure of the Rodent Brain. Front Neuroanat 2018; 12:16. [PMID: 29556178 PMCID: PMC5844935 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2018.00016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Accepted: 02/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The advantages of using design-based stereology in the collection of quantitative data, have been highlighted, in numerous publications, since the description of the disector method by Sterio (1984). This review article discusses the importance of total number derived with the disector method, as a key variable that must continue to be used to understand the rodent brain and that such data can be used to develop quantitative networks of the brain. The review article will highlight the huge impact total number has had on our understanding of the rodent brain and it will suggest that neuroscientists need to be aware of the increasing number of studies where density, not total number, is the quantitative measure used. It will emphasize that density can result in data that is misleading, most often in an unknown direction, and that we run the risk of this type of data being accepted into the collective neuroscience knowledge database. It will also suggest that design-based stereology using the disector method, can be used alongside recent developments in electron microscopy, such as serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SEM), to obtain total number data very efficiently at the ultrastructural level. Throughout the article total number is discussed as a key parameter in understanding the micro-networks of the rodent brain as they can be represented as both anatomical and quantitative networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth M A Napper
- Brain Health Research Centre, Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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Melkonyan MM, Hunanyan L, Lourhmati A, Layer N, Beer-Hammer S, Yenkoyan K, Schwab M, Danielyan L. Neuroprotective, Neurogenic, and Amyloid Beta Reducing Effect of a Novel Alpha 2-Adrenoblocker, Mesedin, on Astroglia and Neuronal Progenitors upon Hypoxia and Glutamate Exposure. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 19:ijms19010009. [PMID: 29267189 PMCID: PMC5795961 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19010009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2017] [Revised: 12/17/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Locus coeruleus-noradrenergic system dysfunction is known to contribute to the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Besides a variety of reports showing the involvement of norepinephrine and its receptor systems in cognition, amyloid β (Aβ) metabolism, neuroinflammation, and neurogenesis, little is known about the contribution of the specific receptors to these actions. Here, we investigated the neurogenic and neuroprotective properties of a new α2 adrenoblocker, mesedin, in astroglial primary cultures (APC) from C57BL/6 and 3×Tg-AD mice. Our results demonstrate that mesedin rescues neuronal precursors and young neurons, and reduces the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release from astroglia under hypoxic and normoxic conditions. Mesedin also increased choline acetyltransferase, postsynaptic density marker 95 (PSD95), and Aβ-degrading enzyme neprilysin in the wild type APC, while in the 3×Tg-AD APC exposed to glutamate, it decreased the intracellular content of Aβ and enhanced the survival of synaptophysin-positive astroglia and neurons. These effects in APC can at least partially be attributed to the mesedin’s ability of increasing the expression of Interleukine(IL)-10, which is a potent anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective neurogenic, and Aβ metabolism enhancing factor. In summary, our data identify the neurogenic, neuroprotective, and anti-amyloidogenic action of mesedin in APC. Further in vivo studies are needed to estimate the therapeutic value of mesedin for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magda M Melkonyan
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Yerevan state Medical University after M. Heratsi, 2 Koryun St., Yerevan 0025, Armenia.
| | - Lilit Hunanyan
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Yerevan state Medical University after M. Heratsi, 2 Koryun St., Yerevan 0025, Armenia.
| | - Ali Lourhmati
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Hospital of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Nikolas Layer
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Hospital of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Sandra Beer-Hammer
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapy, Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology and ICePhA, University of Tuebingen, Wilhelmstr. 56, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Konstantin Yenkoyan
- Biochemistry Department, Yerevan state Medical University after M. Heratsi, 2 Koryun St., Yerevan 0025, Armenia.
| | - Matthias Schwab
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Hospital of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany.
- Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, University of Tübingen, Stuttgart, Auerbachstr. 112, D-70376 Stuttgart, Germany.
- Department of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Lusine Danielyan
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Hospital of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany.
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Large Soluble Oligomers of Amyloid β-Protein from Alzheimer Brain Are Far Less Neuroactive Than the Smaller Oligomers to Which They Dissociate. J Neurosci 2017; 37:152-163. [PMID: 28053038 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1698-16.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 248] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2016] [Revised: 09/30/2016] [Accepted: 11/03/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Soluble oligomers of amyloid β-protein (oAβ) isolated from the brains of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients have been shown experimentally (in the absence of amyloid plaques) to impair hippocampal synaptic plasticity, decrease synapses, induce tau hyperphosphorylation and neuritic dystrophy, activate microglial inflammation, and impair memory in normal adult rodents. Nevertheless, there has been controversy about what types of oligomers actually confer these AD-like phenotypes. Here, we show that the vast majority of soluble Aβ species obtained from brains of humans who died with confirmed AD elute at high molecular weight (HMW) on nondenaturing size-exclusion chromatography. These species have little or no cytotoxic activity in several bioassays. However, incubation of HMW oAβ in mildly alkaline buffer led to their quantitative dissociation into low molecular weight oligomers (∼8-70 kDa), and these were now far more bioactive: they impaired hippocampal LTP, decreased neuronal levels of β2-adrenergic receptors, and activated microglia in wt mice in vivo Thus, most soluble Aβ assemblies in AD cortex are large and inactive but under certain circumstances can dissociate into smaller, highly bioactive species. Insoluble amyloid plaques likely sequester soluble HMW oligomers, limiting their potential to dissociate. We conclude that conditions that destabilize HMW oligomers or retard the sequestration of their smaller, more bioactive components are important drivers of Aβ toxicity. Selectively targeting these small, cytotoxic forms should be therapeutically beneficial. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Oligomers of amyloid β-protein (oAβ) are tought to play an important role in Alzheimer's disease (AD), but there is confusion and controversy about what types and sizes of oligomers have disease-relevant activity. Using size-exclusion chromatography and three distinct measures of bioactivity, we show that the predominant forms of Aβ in aqueous extracts of AD brain are high molecular weight (HMW) and relatively inactive. Importantly, under certain conditions, the abundant HMW oAβ can dissociate into low molecular weight species, and these low molecular weight oligomers are significantly more bioactive on synapses and microglia than the HMW species from which they are derived. We conclude that conditions that destabilize HMW oAβ or retard the sequestration of smaller, more bioactive components are important drivers of Aβ toxicity.
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Lima FB, Leite CM, Bethea CL, Anselmo-Franci JA. Progesterone increased β-endorphin innervation of the locus coeruleus, but ovarian steroids had no effect on noradrenergic neurodegeneration. Brain Res 2017; 1663:1-8. [PMID: 28284896 PMCID: PMC5425244 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2017.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2016] [Revised: 03/03/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
With the decline of ovarian steroids levels at menopause, many women experience an increase in anxiety and stress sensitivity. The locus coeruleus (LC), a central source of noradrenaline (NE), is activated by stress and is inhibited by β-endorphin. Moreover, increased NE has been implicated in pathological anxiety syndromes. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in menopause appears to decrease anxiety and vulnerability to stress. Therefore, we questioned the effect of HRT on the inhibitory β-endorphin innervation of the LC. In addition, we found that progesterone protects serotoninergic neurons in monkeys, leading us to question whether ovarian steroids are also neuroprotective in LC neurons in monkeys. Adult Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) were ovariectomized, and either treated with Silastic capsules that contained estradiol, estradiol+progesterone, progesterone alone or that were empty (ovariectomized; control). After 1month, the LC was obtained and processed for immunohistochemistry for β-endorphin and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end-labeling (TUNEL). The density of β-endorphin axons was determined with image analysis using ImageJ. The TUNEL-positive neurons were counted in the entire LC. Progesterone-alone significantly increased the density of the β-endorphin axons in the LC (p<0.01). No significant differences between groups in the number of TUNEL-positive cells in the LC were found. In conclusion, we found that HRT increases the inhibitory influence of β-endorphin in the LC, which could, in turn, contribute to reduce anxiety and increase stress resilience. In addition, we did not find compelling evidence of neurodegeneration or neuroprotection by HRT in the LC of Rhesus monkeys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda B Lima
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
| | - Cristiane M Leite
- Departamento de Morfologia, Fisiologia, e Patologia Básica, Faculdade de Odontologia de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Cynthia L Bethea
- Division of Reproductive and Developmental Sciences, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, USA.
| | - Janete A Anselmo-Franci
- Departamento de Morfologia, Fisiologia, e Patologia Básica, Faculdade de Odontologia de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
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Schaeffer EL, Catanozi S, West MJ, Gattaz WF. Stereological investigation of the CA1 pyramidal cell layer in untreated and lithium-treated 3xTg-AD and wild-type mice. Ann Anat 2017; 209:51-60. [DOI: 10.1016/j.aanat.2016.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2016] [Revised: 10/03/2016] [Accepted: 10/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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Daulatzai MA. Dysfunctional Sensory Modalities, Locus Coeruleus, and Basal Forebrain: Early Determinants that Promote Neuropathogenesis of Cognitive and Memory Decline and Alzheimer’s Disease. Neurotox Res 2016; 30:295-337. [DOI: 10.1007/s12640-016-9643-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2016] [Revised: 06/08/2016] [Accepted: 06/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Gondré-Lewis MC, Darius PJ, Wang H, Allard JS. Stereological analyses of reward system nuclei in maternally deprived/separated alcohol drinking rats. J Chem Neuroanat 2016; 76:122-132. [PMID: 26939765 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2016.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2015] [Revised: 01/19/2016] [Accepted: 02/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The experience of early life stress can trigger complex neurochemical cascades that influence emotional and addictive behaviors later in life in both adolescents and adults. Recent evidence suggests that excessive alcohol drinking and drug-seeking behavior, in general, are co-morbid with depressive-like behavior. Both behaviors are reported in humans exposed to early life adversity, and are prominent features recapitulated in animal models of early life stress (ELS) exposure. Currently, little is known about whether or how ELS modulates reward system nuclei. In this study we use operant conditioning of rats to show that the maternal separation stress (MS) model of ELS consumes up to 3-fold greater quantities of 10% vol/vol EtOH in 1-h, consistently over a 3-week period. This was correlated with a significant 22% reduction in the number of dopaminergic-like neurons in the VTA of naïve MS rats, similar to genetically alcohol-preferring (P) rats which show a 35% reduction in tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive dopaminergic neurons in the VTA. MS rats had a significantly higher 2-fold immobility time in the forced swim test (FST) and reduced sucrose drinking compared to controls, indicative of depressive-like symptomology and anhedonia. Consistent with this finding, stereological analysis revealed that amygdala neurons were 25% greater in number at P70 following MS exposure. Our previous examination of the dentate gyrus of hippocampus, a region involved in encoding emotional memory, revealed fewer dentate gyrus neurons after MS, but we now report this reduction in neurons occurs without effect on the number of astrocytes or length of astrocytic fibers. These data indicate that MS animals exhibit neuroanatomical changes in reward centers similar to those reported for high alcohol drinking rats, but aspects of astrocyte morphometry remained unchanged. These data are of high relevance to understand the breadth of neuronal pathology that ensues in reward loci following ELS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjorie C Gondré-Lewis
- Department of Anatomy, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC 20059, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC 20059, United States.
| | - Philippe J Darius
- Department of Anatomy, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC 20059, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC 20059, United States
| | - Hong Wang
- Department of Anatomy, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC 20059, United States
| | - Joanne S Allard
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC 20059, United States
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Lim MM, Gerstner JR, Holtzman DM. The sleep-wake cycle and Alzheimer's disease: what do we know? Neurodegener Dis Manag 2015; 4:351-62. [PMID: 25405649 DOI: 10.2217/nmt.14.33] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sleep-wake disturbances are a highly prevalent and often disabling feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD). A cardinal feature of AD includes the formation of amyloid plaques, associated with the extracellular accumulation of the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide. Evidence from animal and human studies suggests that Aβ pathology may disrupt the sleep-wake cycle, in that as Aβ accumulates, more sleep-wake fragmentation develops. Furthermore, recent research in animal and human studies suggests that the sleep-wake cycle itself may influence Alzheimer's disease onset and progression. Chronic sleep deprivation increases amyloid plaque deposition, and sleep extension results in fewer plaques in experimental models. In this review geared towards the practicing clinician, we discuss possible mechanisms underlying the reciprocal relationship between the sleep-wake cycle and AD pathology and behavior, and present current approaches to therapy for sleep disorders in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miranda M Lim
- Division of Hospital & Specialty Medicine, Sleep Disorders Laboratory, Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Portland, OR 97239, USA
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Weise CM, Mouton PR, Eschbacher J, Coons SW, Krakoff J. A post-mortem stereological study of striatal cell number in human obesity. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2015; 23:100-4. [PMID: 25234737 PMCID: PMC4276484 DOI: 10.1002/oby.20897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2014] [Accepted: 08/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Neuroimaging studies have revealed abnormalities in brain structure, including the striatum, in obese people. In this study, the cellular and parenchymal basis for these findings in post-mortem brain tissue was investigated. METHODS Design-based (unbiased) stereology combined with histochemical and immunocytochemical staining was used to quantify total number of neurons and astrocytes in post-mortem striatal brain samples from nine obese (BMI 40.2 ± 6.1 kg/m(2) ) and eight lean (BMI 24.4 ± 1.0 kg/m(2) ) donors. Total numbers of Nissl-stained neurons and glial fibrillary acidic protein-immunopositive astrocytes were counted in 10 systematic-random sections starting from the frontal pole of the striatum. RESULTS There were no differences in mean total numbers of neurons (obese: 7.60 E+06; SD 2.50 E+06; lean: 7.85 E+06; SD 8.26 E+05; P < 0.78) or astrocytes (obese: 7.42 E+06; SD 2.27 E+06; lean: 7.43 E+06; SD 2.50 E+06; P < 0.99). A higher variance was found for number of neurons (P < 0.007) but not astrocytes (P < 0.72) in the obese group. Neuron/glia ratios were similar in both groups (obese: 1.07, SD 0.39; lean: 1.15, SD 0.37; P < 0.70) with an overall striatal neuron/glia ratio of 1.11 (SD 0.37) across the entire study population (n = 17). CONCLUSIONS No difference was found in the average numbers of neurons and astrocytes in the anterior striatum between lean and obese people. The morphological basis for structural brain changes in obesity requires further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher M. Weise
- Obesity and Diabetes Clinical Research Section, NIDDK-NIH, DHHS, Phoenix, AZ, USA
- University of Leipzig, Department of Neurology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Peter R Mouton
- Department of Pathology & Cell Biology, University of South Florida School of Medicine, Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute and Research Center and the Stereology Resource Center, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Jennifer Eschbacher
- Department of Neuropathology/Pathology, Barrows Neurological Institute, St. Josephs Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ
| | - Stephen W. Coons
- Department of Neuropathology/Pathology, Barrows Neurological Institute, St. Josephs Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ
| | - Jonathan Krakoff
- Obesity and Diabetes Clinical Research Section, NIDDK-NIH, DHHS, Phoenix, AZ, USA
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Bilkei-Gorzo A. Genetic mouse models of brain ageing and Alzheimer's disease. Pharmacol Ther 2014; 142:244-57. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2013.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2013] [Accepted: 11/26/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Noh H, Seo H. Age-dependent effects of valproic acid in Alzheimer's disease (AD) mice are associated with nerve growth factor (NGF) regulation. Neuroscience 2014; 266:255-65. [PMID: 24568732 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2014] [Revised: 02/08/2014] [Accepted: 02/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that causes cognitive impairment. Major pathophysiological AD characteristics include numerous senile plaque, neurofibrillary tangles, and neuronal loss in the specific regions of patients' brains. In this study, we aimed to understand disease stage-dependent regulation of histone modification for the expression of specific markers in plasma and the hippocampus of in vivo AD model. Since the control of histone acetylation/deacetylation has been studied as one of major epigenetic regulatory mechanisms for specific gene expression, we detected the effects of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor on marker expression and neuroprotection in in vivo AD model mice. We determined the effects of valproic acid (VPA, HDAC inhibitor), on the levels of cytokines, secreted form of APP (sAPP), nerve growth factor (NGF), and cognitive function in Tg6799 AD mice in three different disease stages (1month: pre-symptomatic; 5months: early symptomatic; and 10months: late-symptomatic stages). VPA decreased the mRNA levels of nuclear factor kappaB (NF-κB) and IL-1ß in the plasma of Tg6799 mice compared to vehicle control at 10months of age. VPA increased the protein levels of NGF in the hippocampus of Tg6799 mice at 5 and 10months of age. In addition, VPA decreased escape latencies of Tg6799 mice at 5 and 10months of age in Morris water maze assessment. Taken together, HDAC inhibition is a promising therapeutic target for AD and it needs to be considered in an age-dependent and/or stage-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Noh
- Department of Molecular and Life Sciences, Hanyang University, Ansan, Republic of Korea
| | - H Seo
- Department of Molecular and Life Sciences, Hanyang University, Ansan, Republic of Korea.
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Age and duration of inflammatory environment differentially affect the neuroimmune response and catecholaminergic neurons in the midbrain and brainstem. Neurobiol Aging 2013; 35:1065-73. [PMID: 24315728 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2013.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2013] [Revised: 10/17/2013] [Accepted: 11/09/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Neuroinflammation and degeneration of ascending catecholaminergic systems occur early in the neurodegenerative process. Age and the duration of a pro-inflammatory environment induced by continuous intraventricular lipopolysaccharide (LPS) differentially affect the expression profile of pro- and anti-inflammatory genes and proteins as well as the number of activated microglia (express major histocompatibility complex II; MHC II) and the integrity and density of ascending catecholaminergic neural systems originating from the locus coeruleus (LC) and substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) in rats. LPS infusion increased gene expression and/or protein levels for both pro- and anti-inflammatory biomarkers. Although LPS infusion stimulated a robust increase in IL-1ß gene and protein expression, this increase was blunted with age. LPS infusion also increased the density of activated microglia cells throughout the midbrain and brainstem. Corresponding to the development of a pro-inflammatory environment, LC and SNpc neurons immunopositive for tyrosine-hydroxylase (the rate-limiting synthetic enzyme for dopamine and norepinephrine) decreased in number, along with a decrease in tyrosine-hydroxylase gene expression in the midbrain and/or brainstem region. Our data support the concept that continuous exposure to a pro-inflammatory environment drives exaggerated changes in the production and release of inflammatory mediators that interact with age to impair functional capacity of the SNpc and LC.
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Wang H, Gondré-Lewis MC. Prenatal nicotine and maternal deprivation stress de-regulate the development of CA1, CA3, and dentate gyrus neurons in hippocampus of infant rats. PLoS One 2013; 8:e65517. [PMID: 23785432 PMCID: PMC3681797 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0065517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2012] [Accepted: 04/29/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Adverse experiences by the developing fetus and in early childhood are associated with profound effects on learning, emotional behavior, and cognition as a whole. In this study we investigated the effects of prenatal nicotine exposure (NIC), postnatal maternal deprivation (MD) or the combination of the two (NIC+MD) to determine if hippocampal neuron development is modulated by exposure to drugs of abuse and/or stress. Growth of rat offspring exposed to MD alone or NIC+MD was repressed until after weaning. In CA1 but not CA3 of postnatal day 14 (P14) pups, MD increased pyramidal neurons, however, in dentate gyrus (DG), decreased granule neurons. NIC had no effect on neuron number in CA1, CA3 or DG. Unexpectedly, NIC plus MD combined caused a synergistic increase in the number of CA1 or CA3 neurons. Neuron density in CA regions was unaffected by treatment, but in the DG, granule neurons had a looser packing density after NIC, MD or NIC+MD exposure. When septotemporal axes were analyzed, the synergism of stress and drug exposure in CA1 and CA3 was associated with rostral, whereas MD effects were predominantly associated with caudal neurons. TUNEL labeling suggests no active apoptosis at P14, and doublecortin positive neurons and mossy fibers were diminished in NIC+MD relative to controls. The laterality of the effect of nicotine and/or maternal deprivation in right versus left hippocampus was also analyzed and found to be insiginificant. We report for the first time that early life stressors such as postnatal MD and prenatal NIC exposure, when combined, may exhibit synergistic consequences for CA1 and CA3 pyramidal neuron development, and a potential antagonistic influence on developing DG neurons. These results suggest that early stressors may modulate neurogenesis, apoptosis, or maturation of glutamatergic neurons in the hippocampus in a region-specific manner during critical periods of neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Wang
- Laboratory for Neurodevelopment, Department of Anatomy, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, D.C., United States of America
| | - Marjorie C. Gondré-Lewis
- Laboratory for Neurodevelopment, Department of Anatomy, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, D.C., United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Schultheis PJ, Fleming SM, Clippinger AK, Lewis J, Tsunemi T, Giasson B, Dickson DW, Mazzulli JR, Bardgett ME, Haik KL, Ekhator O, Chava AK, Howard J, Gannon M, Hoffman E, Chen Y, Prasad V, Linn SC, Tamargo RJ, Westbroek W, Sidransky E, Krainc D, Shull GE. Atp13a2-deficient mice exhibit neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis, limited α-synuclein accumulation and age-dependent sensorimotor deficits. Hum Mol Genet 2013; 22:2067-82. [PMID: 23393156 PMCID: PMC3633373 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddt057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in ATP13A2 (PARK9), encoding a lysosomal P-type ATPase, are associated with both Kufor-Rakeb syndrome (KRS) and neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL). KRS has recently been classified as a rare genetic form of Parkinson's disease (PD), whereas NCL is a lysosomal storage disorder. Although the transport activity of ATP13A2 has not been defined, in vitro studies show that its loss compromises lysosomal function, which in turn is thought to cause neuronal degeneration. To understand the role of ATP13A2 dysfunction in disease, we disrupted its gene in mice. Atp13a2(-/-) and Atp13a2(+/+) mice were tested behaviorally to assess sensorimotor and cognitive function at multiple ages. In the brain, lipofuscin accumulation, α-synuclein aggregation and dopaminergic pathology were measured. Behaviorally, Atp13a2(-/-) mice displayed late-onset sensorimotor deficits. Accelerated deposition of autofluorescent storage material (lipofuscin) was observed in the cerebellum and in neurons of the hippocampus and the cortex of Atp13a2(-/-) mice. Immunoblot analysis showed increased insoluble α-synuclein in the hippocampus, but not in the cortex or cerebellum. There was no change in the number of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra or in striatal dopamine levels in aged Atp13a2(-/-) mice. These results show that the loss of Atp13a2 causes sensorimotor impairments, α-synuclein accumulation as occurs in PD and related synucleinopathies, and accumulation of lipofuscin deposits characteristic of NCL, thus providing the first direct demonstration that null mutations in Atp13a2 can cause pathological features of both diseases in the same organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick J Schultheis
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, KY 41099, USA.
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Li S, Jin M, Zhang D, Yang T, Koeglsperger T, Fu H, Selkoe DJ. Environmental novelty activates β2-adrenergic signaling to prevent the impairment of hippocampal LTP by Aβ oligomers. Neuron 2013; 77:929-41. [PMID: 23473322 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2012.12.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/27/2012] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
A central question about human brain aging is whether cognitive enrichment slows the development of Alzheimer changes. Here, we show that prolonged exposure to an enriched environment (EE) facilitated signaling in the hippocampus of wild-type mice that promoted long-term potentiation. A key feature of the EE effect was activation of β2-adrenergic receptors and downstream cAMP/PKA signaling. This EE pathway prevented LTP inhibition by soluble oligomers of amyloid β-protein (Aβ) isolated from AD cortex. Protection by EE occurred in both young and middle-aged wild-type mice. Exposure to novelty afforded greater protection than did aerobic exercise. Mice chronically fed a β-adrenergic agonist without EE were protected from hippocampal impairment by Aβ oligomers. Thus, EE enhances hippocampal synaptic plasticity by activating β-adrenoceptor signaling and mitigating synaptotoxicity of human Aβ oligomers. These mechanistic insights support using prolonged exposure to cognitive novelty and/or oral β-adrenergic agonists to lessen the effects of Aβ accumulation during aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaomin Li
- Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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