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Kolahchi Z, Henkel N, Eladawi MA, Villarreal EC, Kandimalla P, Lundh A, McCullumsmith RE, Cuevas E. Sex and Gender Differences in Alzheimer's Disease: Genetic, Hormonal, and Inflammation Impacts. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:8485. [PMID: 39126053 PMCID: PMC11313277 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25158485] [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: 04/16/2024] [Revised: 07/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/28/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer's disease are women, indicating a profound variance between the sexes. Variances exist between the sexes in the age and intensity of the presentation, cognitive deficits, neuroinflammatory factors, structural and functional brain changes, as well as psychosocial and cultural circumstances. Herein, we summarize the existing evidence for sexual dimorphism and present the available evidence for these distinctions. Understanding these complexities is critical to developing personalized interventions for the prevention, care, and treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Kolahchi
- Department of Neurology, Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; (Z.K.); (E.C.V.)
| | - Nicholas Henkel
- Department of Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders, College of Medicine and Life Sciences, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614, USA; (N.H.); (M.A.E.); (P.K.); (A.L.); (R.E.M.)
| | - Mahmoud A. Eladawi
- Department of Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders, College of Medicine and Life Sciences, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614, USA; (N.H.); (M.A.E.); (P.K.); (A.L.); (R.E.M.)
| | - Emma C. Villarreal
- Department of Neurology, Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; (Z.K.); (E.C.V.)
| | - Prathik Kandimalla
- Department of Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders, College of Medicine and Life Sciences, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614, USA; (N.H.); (M.A.E.); (P.K.); (A.L.); (R.E.M.)
| | - Anna Lundh
- Department of Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders, College of Medicine and Life Sciences, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614, USA; (N.H.); (M.A.E.); (P.K.); (A.L.); (R.E.M.)
| | - Robert E. McCullumsmith
- Department of Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders, College of Medicine and Life Sciences, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614, USA; (N.H.); (M.A.E.); (P.K.); (A.L.); (R.E.M.)
- ProMedica Neurosciences Center, Toledo, OH 43606, USA
| | - Elvis Cuevas
- Department of Neurology, Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; (Z.K.); (E.C.V.)
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Medeiros D, McMurry K, Pfeiffer M, Newsome K, Testerman T, Graf J, Silver AC, Sacchetti P. Slowing Alzheimer's disease progression through probiotic supplementation. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1309075. [PMID: 38510467 PMCID: PMC10950931 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1309075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The lack of affordable and effective therapeutics against cognitive impairment has promoted research toward alternative approaches to the treatment of neurodegeneration. In recent years, a bidirectional pathway that allows the gut to communicate with the central nervous system has been recognized as the gut-brain axis. Alterations in the gut microbiota, a dynamic population of trillions of microorganisms residing in the gastrointestinal tract, have been implicated in a variety of pathological states, including neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, probiotic treatment as an affordable and accessible adjuvant therapy for the correction of dysbiosis in AD has not been thoroughly explored. Here, we sought to correct the dysbiosis in an AD mouse model with probiotic supplementation, with the intent of exploring its effects on disease progression. Transgenic 3xTg-AD mice were fed a control or a probiotic diet (Lactobacillus plantarum KY1032 and Lactobacillus curvatus HY7601) for 12 weeks, with the latter leading to a significant increase in the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes. Cognitive functions were evaluated via Barnes Maze trials and improvements in memory performance were detected in probiotic-fed AD mice. Neural tissue analysis of the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus of 10-month-old 3xTg-AD mice demonstrated that astrocytic and microglial densities were reduced in AD mice supplemented with a probiotic diet, with changes more pronounced in probiotic-fed female mice. In addition, elevated numbers of neurons in the hippocampus of probiotic-fed 3xTg-AD mice suggested neuroprotection induced by probiotic supplementation. Our results suggest that probiotic supplementation could be effective in delaying or mitigating early stages of neurodegeneration in the 3xTg-AD animal model. It is vital to explore new possibilities for palliative care for neurodegeneration, and probiotic supplementation could provide an inexpensive and easily implemented adjuvant clinical treatment for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Destynie Medeiros
- Department of Biology, University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT, United States
| | - Kristina McMurry
- Neuroscience Program, Department of Biology, University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT, United States
| | - Melissa Pfeiffer
- Neuroscience Program, Department of Biology, University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT, United States
| | - Kayla Newsome
- Department of Biology, University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT, United States
| | - Todd Testerman
- Department of Molecular Cellular Biology, UConn, Storrs, CT, United States
| | - Joerg Graf
- Department of Molecular Cellular Biology, UConn, Storrs, CT, United States
| | - Adam C. Silver
- Department of Biology, University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT, United States
| | - Paola Sacchetti
- Department of Biology, University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT, United States
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Li X, Quan M, Wei Y, Wang W, Xu L, Wang Q, Jia J. Critical thinking of Alzheimer's transgenic mouse model: current research and future perspective. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2023; 66:2711-2754. [PMID: 37480469 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-022-2357-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
Transgenic models are useful tools for studying the pathogenesis of and drug development for Alzheimer's Disease (AD). AD models are constructed usually using overexpression or knock-in of multiple pathogenic gene mutations from familial AD. Each transgenic model has its unique behavioral and pathological features. This review summarizes the research progress of transgenic mouse models, and their progress in the unique mechanism of amyloid-β oligomers, including the first transgenic mouse model built in China based on a single gene mutation (PSEN1 V97L) found in Chinese familial AD. We further summarized the preclinical findings of drugs using the models, and their future application in exploring the upstream mechanisms and multitarget drug development in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyue Li
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders and Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Meina Quan
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders and Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
- National Medical Center for Neurological Diseases and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Yiping Wei
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders and Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders and Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
- National Medical Center for Neurological Diseases and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Lingzhi Xu
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders and Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders and Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
- National Medical Center for Neurological Diseases and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Jianping Jia
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders and Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China.
- National Medical Center for Neurological Diseases and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing, 100053, China.
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, Beijing, 100053, China.
- Clinical Center for Neurodegenerative Disease and Memory Impairment, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China.
- Center of Alzheimer's Disease, Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China.
- Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100053, China.
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Reyna NC, Clark BJ, Hamilton DA, Pentkowski NS. Anxiety and Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis: focus on 5-HT and CRF systems in 3xTg-AD and TgF344-AD animal models. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1251075. [PMID: 38076543 PMCID: PMC10699143 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1251075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Dementia remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in older adults. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia, affecting over 55 million people worldwide. AD is characterized by distinct neurobiological changes, including amyloid-beta protein deposits and tau neurofibrillary tangles, which cause cognitive decline and subsequent behavioral changes, such as distress, insomnia, depression, and anxiety. Recent literature suggests a strong connection between stress systems and AD progression. This presents a promising direction for future AD research. In this review, two systems involved in regulating stress and AD pathogenesis will be highlighted: serotonin (5-HT) and corticotropin releasing factor (CRF). Throughout the review, we summarize critical findings in the field while discussing common limitations with two animal models (3xTg-AD and TgF344-AD), novel pharmacotherapies, and potential early-intervention treatment options. We conclude by highlighting promising future pharmacotherapies and translational animal models of AD and anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole C. Reyna
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States
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Torraville SE, Flynn CM, Kendall TL, Yuan Q. Life Experience Matters: Enrichment and Stress Can Influence the Likelihood of Developing Alzheimer's Disease via Gut Microbiome. Biomedicines 2023; 11:1884. [PMID: 37509523 PMCID: PMC10377385 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11071884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease, characterized by the presence of β-amyloid (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) formed from abnormally phosphorylated tau proteins (ptau). To date, there is no cure for AD. Earlier therapeutic efforts have focused on the clinical stages of AD. Despite paramount efforts and costs, pharmaceutical interventions including antibody therapies targeting Aβ have largely failed. This highlights the need to alternate treatment strategies and a shift of focus to early pre-clinical stages. Approximately 25-40% of AD cases can be attributed to environmental factors including chronic stress. Gut dysbiosis has been associated with stress and the pathogenesis of AD and can increase both Aβ and NFTs in animal models of the disease. Both stress and enrichment have been shown to alter AD progression and gut health. Targeting stress-induced gut dysbiosis through probiotic supplementation could provide a promising intervention to delay disease progression. In this review, we discuss the effects of stress, enrichment, and gut dysbiosis in AD models and the promising evidence from probiotic intervention studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Torraville
- Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Cassandra M Flynn
- Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Tori L Kendall
- Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Qi Yuan
- Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL A1B 3V6, Canada
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Fraile-Ramos J, Garrit A, Reig-Vilallonga J, Giménez-Llort L. Hepatic Oxi-Inflammation and Neophobia as Potential Liver-Brain Axis Targets for Alzheimer's Disease and Aging, with Strong Sensitivity to Sex, Isolation, and Obesity. Cells 2023; 12:1517. [PMID: 37296638 PMCID: PMC10252497 DOI: 10.3390/cells12111517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Research on Alzheimer's disease (AD) has classically focused on alterations that occur in the brain and their intra- and extracellular neuropathological hallmarks. However, the oxi-inflammation hypothesis of aging may also play a role in neuroimmunoendocrine dysregulation and the disease's pathophysiology, where the liver emerges as a target organ due to its implication in regulating metabolism and supporting the immune system. In the present work, we demonstrate organ (hepatomegaly), tissue (histopathological amyloidosis), and cellular oxidative stress (decreased glutathione peroxidase and increased glutathione reductase enzymatic activities) and inflammation (increased IL-6 and TNF𝛼) as hallmarks of hepatic dysfunction in 16-month-old male and female 3xTg-AD mice at advanced stages of the disease, and as compared to age- and sex-matched non-transgenic (NTg) counterparts. Moreover, liver-brain axis alterations were found through behavioral (increased neophobia) and HPA axis correlations that were enhanced under forced isolation. In all cases, sex (male) and isolation (naturalistic and forced) were determinants of worse hepatomegaly, oxidative stress, and inflammation progression. In addition, obesity in old male NTg mice was translated into a worse steatosis grade. Further research is underway determine whether these alterations could correlate with a worse disease prognosis and to establish potential integrative system targets for AD research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Fraile-Ramos
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Garrit
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep Reig-Vilallonga
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
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Baeta-Corral R, De la Fuente M, Giménez-Llort L. Sex-dependent worsening of NMDA-induced responses, anxiety, hypercortisolemia, and organometry of early peripheral immunoendocrine impairment in adult 3xTg-AD mice and their long-lasting ontogenic modulation by neonatal handling. Behav Brain Res 2023; 438:114189. [PMID: 36343697 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2022] [Revised: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The neuroimmunomodulation hypothesis for Alzheimer's disease (AD) postulates that alterations in the innate immune system triggered by damage signals result in adverse effects on neuronal functions. The peripheral immune system and neuroimmunoendocrine communication are also impaired. Here we provide further evidence using a longitudinal design that also studied the long-lasting effects of an early life sensorial intervention (neonatal handling, from postnatal day 1-21) in 6-month-old (early stages of the disease) male and female 3xTg-AD mice compared to age- and sex-matched non-transgenic (NTg) mice with normal aging. The behavioral patterns elicited by the direct exposure to an open field, and the motor depression response evoked by NMDA (25 mg/kg, i.p) were found correlated to the organometry of peripheral immune-endocrine organs (thymus involution, splenomegaly, and adrenal glands' hypertrophy) and increased corticosterone levels, suggesting their potential value for diagnostic and biomonitoring.The NMDA-induced immediate and depressant motor activity and endocrine (corticosterone) responses were sensitive to sex and AD-genotype, suggesting worse endogenous susceptibility/neuroprotective response to glutamatergic excitotoxicity in males and in the AD-genotype. 3xTg-AD females showed a reduced immediate response, whereas the NTg showed higher responsiveness to subsequent NMDA-induced depressant effect than their male counterparts. The long-lasting ontogenic modulation by handling was shown as a potentiation of NMDA-depressant effect in NTg males and females, while sex × treatment effects were found in 3xTg-AD mice. Finally, NMDA-induced corticosterone showed sex, genotype and interaction effects with sexual dimorphism enhanced in the AD-genotype, suggesting different endogenous vulnerability/neuroprotective capacities and modulation of the neuroimmunoendocrine system.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Baeta-Corral
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain; Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - M De la Fuente
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology, School of Biology, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - L Giménez-Llort
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain; Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain.
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Phospholipase D1 Attenuation Therapeutics Promotes Resilience against Synaptotoxicity in 12-Month-Old 3xTg-AD Mouse Model of Progressive Neurodegeneration. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043372. [PMID: 36834781 PMCID: PMC9967100 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Abrogating synaptotoxicity in age-related neurodegenerative disorders is an extremely promising area of research with significant neurotherapeutic implications in tauopathies including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Our studies using human clinical samples and mouse models demonstrated that aberrantly elevated phospholipase D1 (PLD1) is associated with amyloid beta (Aβ) and tau-driven synaptic dysfunction and underlying memory deficits. While knocking out the lipolytic PLD1 gene is not detrimental to survival across species, elevated expression is implicated in cancer, cardiovascular conditions and neuropathologies, leading to the successful development of well-tolerated mammalian PLD isoform-specific small molecule inhibitors. Here, we address the importance of PLD1 attenuation, achieved using repeated 1 mg/kg of VU0155069 (VU01) intraperitoneally every alternate day for a month in 3xTg-AD mice beginning only from ~11 months of age (with greater influence of tau-driven insults) compared to age-matched vehicle (0.9% saline)-injected siblings. A multimodal approach involving behavior, electrophysiology and biochemistry corroborate the impact of this pre-clinical therapeutic intervention. VU01 proved efficacious in preventing in later stage AD-like cognitive decline affecting perirhinal cortex-, hippocampal- and amygdala-dependent behaviors. Glutamate-dependent HFS-LTP and LFS-LTD improved. Dendritic spine morphology showed the preservation of mushroom and filamentous spine characteristics. Differential PLD1 immunofluorescence and co-localization with Aβ were noted.
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Sex- and Neuropsychiatric-Dependent Circadian Alterations in Daily Voluntary Physical Activity Engagement and Patterns in Aged 3xTg-AD Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232213671. [PMID: 36430150 PMCID: PMC9696337 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232213671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Revised: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients suffer from circadian rhythm alterations affecting their daily physical activity patterns with less willingness to perform a voluntary exercise. In preclinical studies, there is no clarity on whether animal models of AD can replicate these impairments. Here, we provide a proof of concept of the performance and behavioral effects of four weeks of voluntary wheel running (VWR) in a group of 14-month-old male and female 3xTg-AD mice at advanced stages of AD and the daily variance (behavioral circadian rhythmicity) of VWR associated with sex and their neuropsychiatric-like phenotype. Higher levels of horizontal exploration in the open field (OF) test were found in mice submitted to exercise. A linear mixed effect model showed significant sex-dependent differences in the VWR activity performed on the first night of follow-up, with high-NIBI males running less than high-NIBI females. Thus, an influence of NPS-like symptoms on the circadian patterns of VWR may account for such differences. In addition, males remained more active than females during diurnal periods. We hypothesize that this increment in energy expenditure during resting periods may be related to hyperactive behavior, similar to that observed in humans' exacerbated agitation or sundowning behavior. These findings support the usage of the 3xTg-AD mouse as a reliable model for studying circadian rhythm alterations in AD and, at the translational level, the importance of tailored and individualized physical activity programs in clinical settings.
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Yao J, Liu Y, Sun B, Zhan X, Estillore JP, Turner RW, Chen SRW. Increased RyR2 open probability induces neuronal hyperactivity and memory loss with or without Alzheimer's disease-causing gene mutations. Alzheimers Dement 2022; 18:2088-2098. [PMID: 34985200 DOI: 10.1002/alz.12543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Neuronal hyperactivity is an early neuronal defect commonly observed in familial and sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. METHODS We employed a ryanodine receptor 2 (RyR2) mutant mouse model harboring the R4496C+/- mutation that markedly increases the channel's open probability (Po) to determine the impact of increased RyR2 activity in neuronal function without AD gene mutations. RESULTS Genetically increasing RyR2 Po induced neuronal hyperactivity in vivo in anesthetized and awake mice. Increased RyR2 Po induced hyperactive behaviors, impaired learning and memory, defective dendritic spines, and neuronal cell death. Increased RyR2 Po exacerbated the onset of neuronal hyperexcitability and learning and memory impairments in 5xFAD mice. DISCUSSION Increased RyR2 Po exacerbates the onset of familial AD-associated neuronal dysfunction, and induces AD-like defects in the absence of AD-causing gene mutations, suggesting that RyR2-associated neuronal hyperactivity represents a common target for combating AD with or without AD gene mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinjing Yao
- Libin Cardiovascular Institute, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Yajing Liu
- Libin Cardiovascular Institute, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Pharmacology, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Bo Sun
- Libin Cardiovascular Institute, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Medical School, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
| | - Xiaoqin Zhan
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - John Paul Estillore
- Libin Cardiovascular Institute, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Ray W Turner
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - S R Wayne Chen
- Libin Cardiovascular Institute, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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11
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Muntsant A, Giménez-Llort L. Crosstalk of Alzheimer’s disease-phenotype, HPA axis, splenic oxidative stress and frailty in late-stages of dementia, with special concerns on the effects of social isolation: A translational neuroscience approach. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:969381. [PMID: 36185472 PMCID: PMC9520301 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.969381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Coping with emotional stressors strongly impacts older people due to their age-related impaired neuroendocrine and immune systems. Elevated cortisol levels seem to be associated with an increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia. In Alzheimer’s disease (AD), alterations in the innate immune system result in crosstalk between immune mediators and neuronal and endocrine functions. Besides, neuropsychiatric symptoms such as depression, anxiety, or agitation are observed in most patients. Here, we studied the psychophysiological response to intrinsic (AD-phenotype) and extrinsic (anxiogenic tests) stress factors and their relation to liver, kidneys, heart, and spleen oxidative status in 18-months-old female gold-standard C57BL/6 mice and 3xTg-AD mice model for AD. The emotional, cognitive, and motor phenotypes were assessed under three different anxiogenic conditions. Survival, frailty index, and immunoendocrine status (corticosterone levels and oxidative stress of peripheral organs) were evaluated. Genotype differences in neuropsychiatric-like profiles and cognitive disfunction in 3xTg-AD females that survived beyond advanced stages of the disease persisted despite losing other behavioral and hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) physiological differences. A secondary analysis studied the impact of social isolation, naturally occurring in 3xTg-AD mice due to the death of cage mates. One month of isolation modified hyperactivity and neophobia patterns and disrupt the obsessive-compulsive disorder-like digging ethogram. Frailty index correlated with spleen organometrics in all groups, whereas two AD-specific salient functional correlations were identified: (1) Levels of corticosterone with worse performance in the T-maze, (2) and with a lower splenic GPx antioxidant enzymatic activity, which may suppose a potent risk of morbidity and mortality in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aida Muntsant
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- *Correspondence: Lydia Giménez-Llort,
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12
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Gannon OJ, Robison LS, Salinero AE, Abi-Ghanem C, Mansour FM, Kelly RD, Tyagi A, Brawley RR, Ogg JD, Zuloaga KL. High-fat diet exacerbates cognitive decline in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease and mixed dementia in a sex-dependent manner. J Neuroinflammation 2022; 19:110. [PMID: 35568928 PMCID: PMC9107741 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-022-02466-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Approximately 70% of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients have co-morbid vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID); this highly prevalent overlap of dementia subtypes is known as mixed dementia (MxD). AD is more prevalent in women, while VCID is slightly more prevalent in men. Sex differences in risk factors may contribute to sex differences in dementia subtypes. Unlike metabolically healthy women, diabetic women are more likely to develop VCID than diabetic men. Prediabetes is 3× more prevalent than diabetes and is linked to earlier onset of dementia in women, but not men. How prediabetes influences underlying pathology and cognitive outcomes across different dementia subtypes is unknown. To fill this gap in knowledge, we investigated the impact of diet-induced prediabetes and biological sex on cognitive function and neuropathology in mouse models of AD and MxD. METHODS Male and female 3xTg-AD mice received a sham (AD model) or unilateral common carotid artery occlusion surgery to induce chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (MxD model). Mice were fed a control or high fat (HF; 60% fat) diet from 3 to 7 months of age. In both sexes, HF diet elicited a prediabetic phenotype (impaired glucose tolerance) and weight gain. RESULTS In females, but not males, metabolic consequences of a HF diet were more severe in AD or MxD mice compared to WT. In both sexes, HF-fed AD or MxD mice displayed deficits in spatial memory in the Morris water maze (MWM). In females, but not males, HF-fed AD and MxD mice also displayed impaired spatial learning in the MWM. In females, but not males, AD or MxD caused deficits in activities of daily living, regardless of diet. Astrogliosis was more severe in AD and MxD females compared to males. Further, AD/MxD females had more amyloid beta plaques and hippocampal levels of insoluble amyloid beta 40 and 42 than AD/MxD males. In females, but not males, more severe glucose intolerance (prediabetes) was correlated with increased hippocampal microgliosis. CONCLUSIONS High-fat diet had a wider array of metabolic, cognitive, and neuropathological consequences in AD and MxD females compared to males. These findings shed light on potential underlying mechanisms by which prediabetes may lead to earlier dementia onset in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia J. Gannon
- grid.413558.e0000 0001 0427 8745Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Avenue; MC-136, Albany, NY 12208 USA
| | - Lisa S. Robison
- grid.413558.e0000 0001 0427 8745Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Avenue; MC-136, Albany, NY 12208 USA ,grid.261241.20000 0001 2168 8324Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Nova Southeastern University, 3301 College Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314 USA ,grid.264307.40000 0000 9688 1551Department of Psychology, Stetson University, 421 N Woodland Blvd, DeLand, FL 32723 USA
| | - Abigail E. Salinero
- grid.413558.e0000 0001 0427 8745Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Avenue; MC-136, Albany, NY 12208 USA
| | - Charly Abi-Ghanem
- grid.413558.e0000 0001 0427 8745Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Avenue; MC-136, Albany, NY 12208 USA
| | - Febronia M. Mansour
- grid.413558.e0000 0001 0427 8745Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Avenue; MC-136, Albany, NY 12208 USA
| | - Richard D. Kelly
- grid.413558.e0000 0001 0427 8745Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Avenue; MC-136, Albany, NY 12208 USA
| | - Alvira Tyagi
- grid.413558.e0000 0001 0427 8745Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Avenue; MC-136, Albany, NY 12208 USA
| | - Rebekah R. Brawley
- grid.264307.40000 0000 9688 1551Department of Psychology, Stetson University, 421 N Woodland Blvd, DeLand, FL 32723 USA
| | - Jordan D. Ogg
- grid.264307.40000 0000 9688 1551Department of Psychology, Stetson University, 421 N Woodland Blvd, DeLand, FL 32723 USA
| | - Kristen L. Zuloaga
- grid.413558.e0000 0001 0427 8745Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Avenue; MC-136, Albany, NY 12208 USA
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13
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Dennison JL, Volmar CH, Ke D, Wang J, Gravel E, Hammond-Vignini S, Li Z, Timmons JA, Lohse I, Hayward MA, Brothers SP, Wahlestedt C. JOTROL, a Novel Formulation of Resveratrol, Shows Beneficial Effects in the 3xTg-AD Mouse Model. J Alzheimers Dis 2022; 86:173-190. [PMID: 35034905 DOI: 10.3233/jad-215370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alzheimer's disease (AD) has minimally effective treatments currently. High concentrations of resveratrol, a polyphenol antioxidant found in plants, have been reported to affect several AD-related and neuroprotective genes. To address the low bioavailability of resveratrol, we investigated a novel oral formulation of resveratrol, JOTROL™, that has shown increased pharmacokinetic properties compared to non-formulated resveratrol in animals and in humans. OBJECTIVE We hypothesized that equivalent doses of JOTROL, compared to non-formulated resveratrol, would result in greater brain exposure to resveratrol, and more efficacious responses on AD biomarkers. METHODS For sub-chronic reversal studies, 15-month-old male triple transgenic (APPSW/PS1M146V/TauP301L; 3xTg-AD) AD mice were treated orally with vehicle or 50 mg/kg JOTROL for 36 days. For prophylactic studies, male and female 3xTg-AD mice were similarly administered vehicle, 50 mg/kg JOTROL, or 50 mg/kg resveratrol for 9 months starting at 4 months of age. A behavioral battery was run, and mRNA and protein from brain and blood were analyzed for changes in AD-related gene and protein expression. RESULTS JOTROL displays significantly increased bioavailability over non-formulated resveratrol. Treatment with JOTROL resulted in AD-related gene expression changes (Adam10, Bace1, Bdnf, Psen1) some of which were brain region-dependent and sex-specific, as well as changes in inflammatory gene and cytokine levels. CONCLUSION JOTROL may be effective as a prophylaxis and/or treatment for AD through increased expression and/or activation of neuroprotective genes, suppression of pro-inflammatory genes, and regulation of central and peripheral cytokine levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Dennison
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.,Center for Therapeutic Innovation, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Claude-Henry Volmar
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.,Center for Therapeutic Innovation, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Danbing Ke
- KDM Laboratories Inc., Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - James Wang
- KDM Laboratories Inc., Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | | | - Zuomei Li
- NuChem Sciences Inc., St. Laurent, QC, Canada
| | | | - Ines Lohse
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.,Center for Therapeutic Innovation, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | | | - Shaun P Brothers
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.,Center for Therapeutic Innovation, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Claes Wahlestedt
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.,Center for Therapeutic Innovation, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
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14
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Gloria Y, Ceyzériat K, Tsartsalis S, Millet P, Tournier BB. Dopaminergic dysfunction in the 3xTg-AD mice model of Alzheimer's disease. Sci Rep 2021; 11:19412. [PMID: 34593951 PMCID: PMC8484608 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99025-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by amyloid (Aβ) protein aggregation and neurofibrillary tangles accumulation, accompanied by neuroinflammation. With all the therapeutic attempts targeting these biomarkers having been unsuccessful, the understanding of early mechanisms involved in the pathology is of paramount importance. Dopaminergic system involvement in AD has been suggested, particularly through the appearance of dopaminergic dysfunction-related neuropsychiatric symptoms and an overall worsening of cognitive and behavioral symptoms. In this study, we reported an early dopaminergic dysfunction in a mouse model presenting both amyloid and Tau pathology. 3xTg-AD mice showed an increase of postsynaptic D2/3R receptors density in the striatum and D2/3-autoreceptors in SN/VTA cell bodies. Functionally, a reduction of anxiety-like behavior, an increase in locomotor activity and D2R hyper-sensitivity to quinpirole stimulation have been observed. In addition, microglial cells in the striatum showed an early inflammatory response, suggesting its participation in dopaminergic alterations. These events are observed at an age when tau accumulation and Aβ deposits in the hippocampus are low. Thus, our results suggest that early dopaminergic dysfunction could have consequences in behavior and cognitive function, and may shed light on future therapeutic pathways of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yesica Gloria
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals of Geneva, Avenue de la Roseraie, 64, 1206, Geneva, Switzerland.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Kelly Ceyzériat
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals of Geneva, Avenue de la Roseraie, 64, 1206, Geneva, Switzerland.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Division of Nuclear Medicine, Diagnostic Department, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Division of Radiation Oncology, Department of Oncology, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Stergios Tsartsalis
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals of Geneva, Avenue de la Roseraie, 64, 1206, Geneva, Switzerland.,Department of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Philippe Millet
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals of Geneva, Avenue de la Roseraie, 64, 1206, Geneva, Switzerland.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Benjamin B Tournier
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals of Geneva, Avenue de la Roseraie, 64, 1206, Geneva, Switzerland. .,Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
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15
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Genotype Load Modulates Amyloid Burden and Anxiety-Like Patterns in Male 3xTg-AD Survivors despite Similar Neuro-Immunoendocrine, Synaptic and Cognitive Impairments. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9070715. [PMID: 34201608 PMCID: PMC8301351 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9070715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 06/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The wide heterogeneity and complexity of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients’ clinical profiles and increased mortality highlight the relevance of personalized-based interventions and the need for end-of-life/survival predictors. At the translational level, studying genetic and age interactions in a context of different levels of expression of AD-genetic-load can help to understand this heterogeneity better. In the present report, a singular cohort of long-lived (19-month-old survivors) heterozygous and homozygous male 3xTg-AD mice were studied to determine whether their AD-genotype load can modulate the brain and peripheral pathological burden, behavioral phenotypes, and neuro-immunoendocrine status, compared to age-matched non-transgenic controls. The results indicated increased amyloid precursor protein (APP) levels in a genetic-load-dependent manner but convergent synaptophysin and choline acetyltransferase brain levels. Cognitive impairment and HPA-axis hyperactivation were salient traits in both 3xTg-AD survivor groups. In contrast, genetic load elicited different anxiety-like profiles, with hypoactive homozygous, while heterozygous resembled controls in some traits and risk assessment. Complex neuro-immunoendocrine crosstalk was also observed. Bodyweight loss and splenic, renal, and hepatic histopathological injury scores provided evidence of the systemic features of AD, despite similar peripheral organs’ oxidative stress. The present study provides an interesting translational scenario to study further genetic-load and age-dependent vulnerability/compensatory mechanisms in Alzheimer’s disease.
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16
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Stozicka Z, Korenova M, Uhrinova I, Cubinkova V, Cente M, Kovacech B, Babindakova N, Matyasova K, Vargova G, Novak M, Novak P, Zilka N, Jadhav S. Environmental Enrichment Rescues Functional Deficit and Alters Neuroinflammation in a Transgenic Model of Tauopathy. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 74:951-964. [PMID: 32116255 DOI: 10.3233/jad-191112] [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: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most frequent neurodegenerative disorder, affecting over 44 million people worldwide. There are no effective pharmaco-therapeutic options for prevention and treatment of AD. Non-pharmacological approaches may help patients suffering from AD to significantly ameliorate disease progression. In this study, we exposed a transgenic rat model (tg) of human tauopathy to enriched environment for 3 months. Behavioral testing at 6 months of age revealed improvement in functional deficits of tg rats reared under enriched conditions, while sedentary tg rats remained severely impaired. Interestingly, enriched environment did not reduce tau pathology. Analysis of neurotrophic factors revealed an increase of nerve growth factor (NGF) levels in the hippocampus of both enriched groups (tg and non-tg rats), reflecting a known effect of enriched environment on the hippocampal formation. On the contrary, NGF levels decreased markedly in the brainstem of enriched groups. The non-pharmacological treatment also reduced levels of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 in the brainstem of transgenic rats. Expression analysis of inflammatory pathways revealed upregulation of microglial markers, such as MHC class II and Cd74, whereas levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines remained unaffected by enriched environment. Our results demonstrate that exposure to enriched environment can rescue functional impairment in tau transgenic rats without reducing tau pathology. We speculate that non-pharmacological treatment modulates the immune response to pathological tau protein inclusions, and thus reduces the damage caused by neuroinflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuzana Stozicka
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, AD Centre, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Miroslava Korenova
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, AD Centre, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Ivana Uhrinova
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, AD Centre, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Veronika Cubinkova
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, AD Centre, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Martin Cente
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, AD Centre, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Branislav Kovacech
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, AD Centre, Bratislava, Slovakia.,Axon Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Nikoleta Babindakova
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, AD Centre, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Katarina Matyasova
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, AD Centre, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Greta Vargova
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, AD Centre, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Michal Novak
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, AD Centre, Bratislava, Slovakia.,Axon Neuroscience SE, Larnaca, Cyprus
| | - Petr Novak
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, AD Centre, Bratislava, Slovakia.,Axon Neuroscience CRM Services SE, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Norbert Zilka
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, AD Centre, Bratislava, Slovakia.,Axon Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Santosh Jadhav
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, AD Centre, Bratislava, Slovakia.,Axon Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Bratislava, Slovakia
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17
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Dennison JL, Ricciardi NR, Lohse I, Volmar CH, Wahlestedt C. Sexual Dimorphism in the 3xTg-AD Mouse Model and Its Impact on Pre-Clinical Research. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 80:41-52. [PMID: 33459720 PMCID: PMC8075398 DOI: 10.3233/jad-201014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Female sex is a leading risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Sexual dimorphism in AD is gaining attention as clinical data show that women are not only more likely to develop AD but also to experience worse pathology and faster cognitive decline. Pre-clinical AD research in animal models often neglects to address sexual dimorphism in evaluation of behavioral or molecular characteristics and outcomes. This can compromise its translation to a clinical setting. The triple-transgenic AD mouse model (3xTg-AD) is a commonly used but unique AD model because it exhibits both amyloid and tau pathology, essential features of the human AD phenotype. Mounting evidence has revealed important sexually dimorphic characteristics of this animal model that have yet to be reviewed and thus, are often overlooked in studies using the 3xTg-AD model. In this review we conduct a thorough analysis of reports of sexual dimorphism in the 3xTg-AD model including findings of molecular, behavioral, and longevity-related sex differences in original research articles through August 2020. Importantly, we find results to be inconsistent, and that strain source and differing methodologies are major contributors to lack of consensus regarding traits of each sex. We first touch on the nature of sexual dimorphism in clinical AD, followed by a brief summary of sexual dimorphism in other major AD murine models before discussing the 3xTg-AD model in depth. We conclude by offering four suggestions to help unify pre-clinical mouse model AD research inspired by the NIH expectations for considering sex as a biological variable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Dennison
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.,Center for Therapeutic Innovation, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Natalie R Ricciardi
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.,Center for Therapeutic Innovation, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Ines Lohse
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.,Center for Therapeutic Innovation, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Claude-Henry Volmar
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.,Center for Therapeutic Innovation, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Claes Wahlestedt
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.,Center for Therapeutic Innovation, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
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18
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Sex-Dependent End-of-Life Mental and Vascular Scenarios for Compensatory Mechanisms in Mice with Normal and AD-Neurodegenerative Aging. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9020111. [PMID: 33498895 PMCID: PMC7911097 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9020111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Life expectancy decreases with aging, with cardiovascular, mental health, and neurodegenerative disorders strongly contributing to the total disability-adjusted life years. Interestingly, the morbidity/mortality paradox points to females having a worse healthy life expectancy. Since bidirectional interactions between cardiovascular and Alzheimer’s diseases (AD) have been reported, the study of this emerging field is promising. In the present work, we further explored the cardiovascular–brain interactions in mice survivors of two cohorts of non-transgenic and 3xTg-AD mice, including both sexes, to investigate the frailty/survival through their life span. Survival, monitored from birth, showed exceptionally worse mortality rates in females than males, independently of the genotype. This mortality selection provided a “survivors” cohort that could unveil brain–cardiovascular interaction mechanisms relevant for normal and neurodegenerative aging processes restricted to long-lived animals. The results show sex-dependent distinct physical (worse in 3xTg-AD males), neuropsychiatric-like and cognitive phenotypes (worse in 3xTg-AD females), and hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis activation (higher in females), with higher cerebral blood flow and improved cardiovascular phenotype in 3xTg-AD female mice survivors. The present study provides an experimental scenario to study the suggested potential compensatory hemodynamic mechanisms in end-of-life dementia, which is sex-dependent and can be a target for pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions.
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19
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Differential effects of chronic immunosuppression on behavioral, epigenetic, and Alzheimer's disease-associated markers in 3xTg-AD mice. ALZHEIMERS RESEARCH & THERAPY 2021; 13:30. [PMID: 33472690 PMCID: PMC7818784 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-020-00745-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Circulating autoantibodies and sex-dependent discrepancy in prevalence are unexplained phenomena of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Using the 3xTg-AD mouse model, we reported that adult males show early manifestations of systemic autoimmunity, increased emotional reactivity, enhanced expression of the histone variant macroH2A1 in the cerebral cortex, and loss of plaque/tangle pathology. Conversely, adult females display less severe autoimmunity and retain their AD-like phenotype. This study examines the link between immunity and other traits of the current 3xTg-AD model. METHODS Young 3xTg-AD and wild-type mice drank a sucrose-laced 0.4 mg/ml solution of the immunosuppressant cyclophosphamide on weekends for 5 months. After behavioral phenotyping at 2 and 6 months of age, we assessed organ mass, serologic markers of autoimmunity, molecular markers of early AD pathology, and expression of genes associated with neurodegeneration. RESULTS Chronic immunosuppression prevented hematocrit drop and reduced soluble Aβ in 3xTg-AD males while normalizing the expression of histone variant macroH2A1 in 3xTg-AD females. This treatment also reduced hepatosplenomegaly, lowered autoantibody levels, and increased the effector T cell population while decreasing the proportion of regulatory T cells in both sexes. Exposure to cyclophosphamide, however, neither prevented reduced brain mass and BDNF expression nor normalized increased tau and anxiety-related behaviors. CONCLUSION The results suggest that systemic autoimmunity increases soluble Aβ production and affects transcriptional regulation of macroH2A1 in a sex-related manner. Despite the complexity of multisystem interactions, 3xTg-AD mice can be a useful in vivo model for exploring the regulatory role of autoimmunity in the etiology of AD-like neurodegenerative disorders.
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20
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Shekari A, Fahnestock M. Cholinergic neurodegeneration in Alzheimer disease mouse models. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2021; 182:191-209. [PMID: 34266592 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-819973-2.00013-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Cholinergic signaling is critical for cognitive function. The basal forebrain is the major cholinergic output of the central nervous system. Degeneration of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Mouse models are invaluable tools in disease research and have been used to study AD for over 25 years. However, animal models of AD vary greatly with respect to the degree of cholinergic degeneration observed. The following review will outline the most influential animal models of AD with an emphasis on the basal forebrain cholinergic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arman Shekari
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Margaret Fahnestock
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
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21
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Meneses-Salas E, Garcia-Forn M, Castany-Pladevall C, Lu A, Fajardo A, Jose J, Wahba M, Bosch M, Pol A, Tebar F, Klein AD, Zanlungo S, Pérez-Navarro E, Grewal T, Enrich C, Rentero C. Lack of Annexin A6 Exacerbates Liver Dysfunction and Reduces Lifespan of Niemann-Pick Type C Protein-Deficient Mice. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2020; 191:475-486. [PMID: 33345999 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2020.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Niemann-Pick type C (NPC) disease is a lysosomal storage disorder characterized by cholesterol accumulation caused by loss-of-function mutations in the Npc1 gene. NPC disease primarily affects the brain, causing neuronal damage and affecting motor coordination. In addition, considerable liver malfunction in NPC disease is common. Recently, we found that the depletion of annexin A6 (ANXA6), which is most abundant in the liver and involved in cholesterol transport, ameliorated cholesterol accumulation in Npc1 mutant cells. To evaluate the potential contribution of ANXA6 in the progression of NPC disease, double-knockout mice (Npc1-/-/Anxa6-/-) were generated and examined for lifespan, neurologic and hepatic functions, as well as liver histology and ultrastructure. Interestingly, lack of ANXA6 in NPC1-deficient animals did not prevent the cerebellar degeneration phenotype, but further deteriorated their compromised hepatic functions and reduced their lifespan. Moreover, livers of Npc1-/-/Anxa6-/- mice contained a significantly elevated number of foam cells congesting the sinusoidal space, a feature commonly associated with inflammation. We hypothesize that ANXA6 deficiency in Npc1-/- mice not only does not reverse neurologic and motor dysfunction, but further worsens overall liver function, exacerbating hepatic failure in NPC disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elsa Meneses-Salas
- Unitat de Biologia Cel·lular, Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centre de Recerca Biomèdica CELLEX, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Garcia-Forn
- Institut de Neurociències, Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carla Castany-Pladevall
- Institut de Neurociències, Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Albert Lu
- Centre de Recerca Biomèdica CELLEX, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Institut de Neurociències, Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Alba Fajardo
- Centre de Recerca Biomèdica CELLEX, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jaimy Jose
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Mohamed Wahba
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Marta Bosch
- Unitat de Biologia Cel·lular, Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centre de Recerca Biomèdica CELLEX, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Albert Pol
- Unitat de Biologia Cel·lular, Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centre de Recerca Biomèdica CELLEX, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Universidad del Desarrollo, Clínica Alemana de Santiago, Chile
| | - Francesc Tebar
- Unitat de Biologia Cel·lular, Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centre de Recerca Biomèdica CELLEX, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Andrés D Klein
- Centro de Genética y Genómica, Universidad del Desarrollo, Clínica Alemana de Santiago, Chile
| | - Silvana Zanlungo
- Departamento de Gastroenterología, Facultad de Medicina Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Esther Pérez-Navarro
- Institut de Neurociències, Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Thomas Grewal
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Carlos Enrich
- Unitat de Biologia Cel·lular, Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centre de Recerca Biomèdica CELLEX, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Carles Rentero
- Unitat de Biologia Cel·lular, Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centre de Recerca Biomèdica CELLEX, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.
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22
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Pritchett-Corning KR. Environmental Complexity and Research Outcomes. ILAR J 2020; 60:239-251. [PMID: 32559304 DOI: 10.1093/ilar/ilaa007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental complexity is an experimental paradigm as well as a potential part of animals' everyday housing experiences. In experimental uses, researchers add complexity to stimulate brain development, delay degenerative brain changes, elicit more naturalistic behaviors, and test learning and memory. Complexity can exacerbate or mitigate behavioral problems, give animals a sense of control, and allow for expression of highly driven, species-typical behaviors that can improve animal welfare. Complex environments should be designed thoughtfully with the animal's natural behaviors in mind, reported faithfully in the literature, and evaluated carefully for unexpected effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen R Pritchett-Corning
- Office of Animal Resources, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.,Department of Comparative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
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23
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Muntsant A, Giménez-Llort L. Impact of Social Isolation on the Behavioral, Functional Profiles, and Hippocampal Atrophy Asymmetry in Dementia in Times of Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19): A Translational Neuroscience Approach. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:572583. [PMID: 33329110 PMCID: PMC7732415 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.572583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The impact of COVID-19 on the elderly is devastating, and nursing homes are struggling to provide the best care to the most fragile. The urgency and severity of the pandemic forces the use of segregation in restricted areas and confinement in individual rooms as desperate strategies to avoid the spread of disease and the worst-case scenario of becoming a deadly trap. The conceptualization of the post-COVID-19 era implies strong efforts to redesign all living conditions, care/rehabilitation interventions, and management of loneliness forced by social distance measures. Recently, a study of gender differences in COVID-19 found that men are more likely to suffer more severe effects of the disease and are over twice as likely to die. It is well-known that dementia is associated with increased mortality, and males have worse survival and deranged neuro-immuno-endocrine systems than females. The present study examines the impact of long-term isolation in male 3xTg-AD mice modeling advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and as compared to age-matched counterparts with normal aging. We used a battery of ethological and unconditioned tests resembling several areas in nursing homes. The main findings refer to an exacerbated (two-fold increase) hyperactivity and emergence of bizarre behaviors in isolated 3xTg-AD mice, worrisome results since agitation is a challenge in the clinical management of dementia and an important cause of caregiver burden. This increase was consistently shown in gross (activity in most of the tests) and fine (thermoregulatory nesting) motor functions. Isolated animals also exhibited re-structured anxiety-like patterns and coping-with-stress strategies. Bodyweight and kidney weight loss were found in AD-phenotypes and increased by isolation. Spleen weight loss was isolation dependent. Hippocampal tau pathology was not modified, but asymmetric atrophy of the hippocampus, recently described in human patients with dementia and modeled here for the first time in an animal model of AD, was found to increase with isolation. Overall, the results show awareness of the impact of isolation in elderly patients with dementia, offering some guidance from translational neuroscience in these times of coronavirus and post-COVID-19 pandemic. They also highlight the relevance of personalized-based interventions tailored to the heterogeneous and complex clinical profile of the individuals with dementia and to consider the implications on caregiver burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aida Muntsant
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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24
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Serra L, Gelfo F, Petrosini L, Di Domenico C, Bozzali M, Caltagirone C. Rethinking the Reserve with a Translational Approach: Novel Ideas on the Construct and the Interventions. J Alzheimers Dis 2019; 65:1065-1078. [PMID: 30149458 DOI: 10.3233/jad-180609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The concept of brain, cognitive, and neural reserves has been introduced to account for the apparent discrepancies between neurological damage and clinical manifestations. However, these ideas are yet theoretical suggestions that are not completely assimilated in the clinical routine. The mechanisms of the reserves have been extensively studied in neurodegenerative pathologies, in particular in Alzheimer's disease. Both human and animal studies addressed this topic by following two parallel pathways. The specific aim of the present review is to attempt to combine the suggestions derived from the two different research fields to deepen the knowledge about reserves. In fact, the achievement of a comprehensive theoretical framework on reserve mechanisms is an essential step to propose well-timed interventions tailored to the clinical characteristics of patients. The present review highlights the importance of addressing three main aspects: the definition of reserve proxy measures, the interaction between reserve level and therapeutic interventions, and the specific time-window of reserve efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Serra
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Gelfo
- Department of Clinical and Behavioural Neurology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.,Department of Human Sciences, Guglielmo Marconi University, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Petrosini
- Laboratory of Experimental Neurophysiology and Behaviour, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.,Department of Psychology, University Sapienza of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Marco Bozzali
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.,Clinical Imaging Science Center, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, UK
| | - Carlo Caltagirone
- Department of Clinical and Behavioural Neurology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.,Department of Systemic Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
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25
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Potential Benefits of Nobiletin, A Citrus Flavonoid, against Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinson's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20143380. [PMID: 31295812 PMCID: PMC6678479 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20143380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Revised: 07/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which is characterized by the presence of amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, accompanied by neurodegeneration, is the most common form of age-related neurodegenerative disease. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after AD, and is characterized by early prominent loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. As currently available treatments are not able to significantly alter the progression of these diseases, successful therapeutic and preventive interventions are strongly needed. In the course of our survey of substances from natural resources having anti-dementia and neuroprotective activity, we found nobiletin, a polymethoxylated flavone from the peel of Citrus depressa. Nobiletin improved cognitive deficits and the pathological features of AD, such as Aβ pathology, hyperphosphorylation of tau, and oxidative stress, in animal models of AD. In addition, nobiletin improved motor and cognitive deficits in PD animal models. These observations suggest that nobiletin has the potential to become a novel drug for the treatment and prevention of neurodegenerative diseases such as AD and PD.
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26
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Teruel AF. Meet Our Editorial Board Member. Curr Neuropharmacol 2019. [PMCID: PMC6520590 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x1705190405151423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
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27
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Sarkar SN, Russell AE, Engler-Chiurazzi EB, Porter KN, Simpkins JW. MicroRNAs and the Genetic Nexus of Brain Aging, Neuroinflammation, Neurodegeneration, and Brain Trauma. Aging Dis 2019; 10:329-352. [PMID: 31011481 PMCID: PMC6457055 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2018.0409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2018] [Accepted: 04/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Aging is a complex and integrated gradual deterioration of cellular activities in specific organs of the body, which is associated with increased mortality. This deterioration is the primary risk factor for major human pathologies, including cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, neurovascular disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases. There are nine tentative hallmarks of aging. In addition, several of these hallmarks are increasingly being associated with acute brain injury conditions. In this review, we consider the genes and their functional pathways involved in brain aging as a means of developing new strategies for therapies targeted to the neuropathological processes themselves, but also as targets for many age-related brain diseases. A single microRNA (miR), which is a short, non-coding RNA species, has the potential for targeting many genes simultaneously and, like practically all other cellular processes, genes associated with many features of brain aging and injury are regulated by miRs. We highlight how certain miRs can mediate deregulation of genes involved in neuroinflammation, acute neuronal injury and chronic neurodegenerative diseases. Finally, we review the recent progress in the development of effective strategies to block specific miR functions and discuss future approaches with the prediction that anti-miR drugs may soon be used in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saumyendra N Sarkar
- Center for Basic and Translational Stroke Research, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
| | - Ashley E Russell
- Center for Basic and Translational Stroke Research, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
| | - Elizabeth B Engler-Chiurazzi
- Center for Basic and Translational Stroke Research, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
| | - Keyana N Porter
- Center for Basic and Translational Stroke Research, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
| | - James W Simpkins
- Center for Basic and Translational Stroke Research, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
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28
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Blázquez G, Castañé A, Saavedra A, Masana M, Alberch J, Pérez-Navarro E. Social Memory and Social Patterns Alterations in the Absence of STriatal-Enriched Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 12:317. [PMID: 30760987 PMCID: PMC6362413 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
STriatal-Enriched protein tyrosine Phosphatase (STEP) is a neural-specific protein that opposes the development of synaptic strengthening and whose levels are altered in several neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. Since STEP is expressed in brain regions implicated in social behavior, namely the striatum, the CA2 region of the hippocampus, cortex and amygdala, here we investigated whether social memory and social patterns were altered in STEP knockout (KO) mice. Our data robustly demonstrated that STEP KO mice presented specific social memory impairment as indicated by the three-chamber sociability test, the social discrimination test, the 11-trial habituation/dishabituation social recognition test, and the novel object recognition test (NORT). This affectation was not related to deficiencies in the detection of social olfactory cues, altered sociability or anxiety levels. However, STEP KO mice showed lower exploratory activity, reduced interaction time with an intruder, less dominant behavior and higher immobility time in the tail suspension test than controls, suggesting alterations in motivation. Moreover, the extracellular levels of dopamine (DA), but not serotonin (5-HT), were increased in the dorsal striatum of STEP KO mice. Overall, our results indicate that STEP deficiency disrupts social memory and other social behaviors as well as DA homeostasis in the dorsal striatum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gloria Blázquez
- Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Castañé
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Neurochemistry and Neuropharmacology, CSIC-Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques de Barcelona (IIBB), Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ana Saavedra
- Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mercè Masana
- Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Alberch
- Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Esther Pérez-Navarro
- Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Barcelona, Spain
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29
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Kokras N, Sotiropoulos I, Besinis D, Tzouveka EL, Almeida OFX, Sousa N, Dalla C. Neuroplasticity-related correlates of environmental enrichment combined with physical activity differ between the sexes. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2019; 29:1-15. [PMID: 30497839 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2018.11.1107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2018] [Revised: 11/01/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Environmental enrichment (EE), comprising positive physical (exercise) and cognitive stimuli, influences neuronal structure and usually improves brain function. The promise of EE as a preventative strategy against neuropsychiatric disease is especially high during early postnatal development when the brain is still amenable to reorganization. Despite the fact that male and female brains differ in terms of connectivity and function that may reflect early life experiences, knowledge of the neural substrates and mechanisms by which such changes arise remains limited. This study compared the impact of EE combined with physical activity on neuroplasticity and its functional consequences in adult male and female rats; EE was provided during the first 3 months of life and our analysis focused on the hippocampus, an area implicated in cognitive behavior as well as the neuroendocrine response to stress. Both male and female rats reared in EE displayed better object recognition memory than their control counterparts. Interestingly, sex differences were revealed in the effects of EE on time spent exploring the objects during this test. Independently of sex, EE increased hippocampal turnover rates of dopamine and serotonin and reduced expression of 5-HT1A receptors; in addition, EE upregulated expression of synaptophysin, a presynaptic protein, in the hippocampus. As compared to their respective controls, EE-exposed males exhibited parallel increases in phosphorylated Tau and the GluN2B receptor, whereas females responded to EE with reduced hippocampal levels of glutamate and GluN2B. Together, these observations provide further evidence on the differential effects of EE on markers of hippocampal neuroplasticity in males and females.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Kokras
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Mikras Asias 75, Athens 11527, Greece; First Department of Psychiatry, Eginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - I Sotiropoulos
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's, PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Portugal; Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Mikras Asias 75, Athens 11527, Greece
| | - D Besinis
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Mikras Asias 75, Athens 11527, Greece
| | - E L Tzouveka
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Mikras Asias 75, Athens 11527, Greece
| | | | - N Sousa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's, PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Portugal
| | - C Dalla
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Mikras Asias 75, Athens 11527, Greece.
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30
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Nyarko JNK, Quartey MO, Baker GB, Mousseau DD. Can Animal Models Inform on the Relationship between Depression and Alzheimer Disease? CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY. REVUE CANADIENNE DE PSYCHIATRIE 2019; 64:18-29. [PMID: 29685068 PMCID: PMC6364140 DOI: 10.1177/0706743718772514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The focus on the β-amyloid (Aβ) peptide in clinical Alzheimer disease (AD) as well as in animal models of AD has perhaps biased our understanding of what contributes to the heterogeneity in disease onset and progression. Part of this heterogeneity could reflect the various neuropsychiatric risk factors that present with common symptomatology and can predispose the brain to AD-like changes. One such risk factor is depression. Animal models, particularly mouse models carrying variants of AD-related gene(s), many of which lead to an accumulation of Aβ, suggest that a fundamental shift in depression-related monoaminergic systems (including serotonin and noradrenaline) is a strong indicator of the altered cellular function associated with the earlier(est) stages of AD-related pathology. These changes in monoaminergic neurochemistry could provide for relevant targets for intervention in clinical AD and/or could support a polypharmacy strategy, which might include the targeting of Aβ, in vulnerable populations. Future studies must also include female mice as well as male mice in animal model studies on the relationship between depression and AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer N K Nyarko
- 1 Cell Signalling Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Maa O Quartey
- 1 Cell Signalling Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Glen B Baker
- 2 Department of Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, Neurochemical Research Unit, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Darrell D Mousseau
- 1 Cell Signalling Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
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31
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Shepherd A, Zhang TD, Zeleznikow-Johnston AM, Hannan AJ, Burrows EL. Transgenic Mouse Models as Tools for Understanding How Increased Cognitive and Physical Stimulation Can Improve Cognition in Alzheimer's Disease. Brain Plast 2018; 4:127-150. [PMID: 30564551 PMCID: PMC6296266 DOI: 10.3233/bpl-180076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive decline appears as a core feature of dementia, of which the most prevalent form, Alzheimer's disease (AD) affects more than 45 million people worldwide. There is no cure, and therapeutic options remain limited. A number of modifiable lifestyle factors have been identified that contribute to cognitive decline in dementia. Sedentary lifestyle has emerged as a major modifier and accordingly, boosting mental and physical activity may represent a method to prevent decline in dementia. Beneficial effects of increased physical activity on cognition have been reported in healthy adults, showing potential to harness exercise and cognitive stimulation as a therapy in dementia. 'Brain training' (cognitive stimulation) has also been investigated as an intervention protecting against cognitive decline with normal aging. Consequently, the utility of exercise regimes and/or cognitive stimulation to improve cognition in dementia in clinical populations has been a major area of study. However, these therapies are in their infancy and efficacy is unclear. Investigations utilising animal models, where dose and timing of treatment can be tightly controlled, have provided many mechanistic insights. Genetically engineered mouse models are powerful tools to investigate mechanisms underlying cognitive decline, and also how environmental manipulations can alter both cognitive outcomes and pathology. A myriad of effects following physical activity and housing in enriched environments have been reported in transgenic mice expressing Alzheimer's disease-associated mutations. In this review, we comprehensively evaluate all studies applying environmental enrichment and/or increased physical exercise to transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. It is unclear whether interventions must be applied before first onset of cognitive deficits to be effective. In order to determine the importance of timing of interventions, we specifically scrutinised studies exposing transgenic mice to exercise and environmental enrichment before and after first report of cognitive impairment. We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of these preclinical studies and suggest approaches for enhancing rigor and using mechanistic insights to inform future therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Shepherd
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Tracy D Zhang
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Ariel M Zeleznikow-Johnston
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Anthony J Hannan
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Emma L Burrows
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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32
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Schmid S, Rammes G, Blobner M, Kellermann K, Bratke S, Fendl D, Kaichuan Z, Schneider G, Jungwirth B. Cognitive decline in Tg2576 mice shows sex-specific differences and correlates with cerebral amyloid-beta. Behav Brain Res 2018; 359:408-417. [PMID: 30458163 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.11.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2018] [Revised: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease show a sex-dependent decline of cognitive function. The aim of this investigation was to show these differences in an animal model for Alzheimer's disease and to determine whether this effect is correlated to amyloid-beta-induced pathophysiological changes. Therefore, we assessed cognitive performance with the modified hole-board test in female and male Tg2576 and wild type mice at the age of 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 months and correlated these findings to the total amount of soluble amyloid-beta and insoluble amyloid deposits in the brain. Tg2576 mice perform worse than wild types. Female Tg2576 mice develop an accentuated cognitive impairment (wrong choice total) beginning at the age of 12 months compared to their male littermates. Alterations in the mice's behaviour do not show interference with these deficits. Cognitive impairment is correlated to the amount of soluble amyloid-beta and insoluble amyloid deposits in the brain in a sex-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Schmid
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675 Munich, Germany.
| | - Gerhard Rammes
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Manfred Blobner
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Kristine Kellermann
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Sebastian Bratke
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Diana Fendl
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Zhu Kaichuan
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Gerhard Schneider
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Bettina Jungwirth
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675 Munich, Germany
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33
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Wickens MM, Bangasser DA, Briand LA. Sex Differences in Psychiatric Disease: A Focus on the Glutamate System. Front Mol Neurosci 2018; 11:197. [PMID: 29922129 PMCID: PMC5996114 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 05/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Alterations in glutamate, the primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain, are implicated in several psychiatric diseases. Many of these psychiatric diseases display epidemiological sex differences, with either males or females exhibiting different symptoms or disease prevalence. However, little work has considered the interaction of disrupted glutamatergic transmission and sex on disease states. This review describes the clinical and preclinical evidence for these sex differences with a focus on two conditions that are more prevalent in women: Alzheimer's disease and major depressive disorder, and three conditions that are more prevalent in men: schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. These studies reveal sex differences at multiple levels in the glutamate system including metabolic markers, receptor levels, genetic interactions, and therapeutic responses to glutamatergic drugs. Our survey of the current literature revealed a considerable need for more evaluations of sex differences in future studies examining the role of the glutamate system in psychiatric disease. Gaining a more thorough understanding of how sex differences in the glutamate system contribute to psychiatric disease could provide novel avenues for the development of sex-specific pharmacotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan M Wickens
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Debra A Bangasser
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States.,Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Lisa A Briand
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States.,Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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Training Microglia to Resist Alzheimer's Disease. J Neurosci 2018; 37:477-479. [PMID: 28100733 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3345-16.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2016] [Revised: 12/06/2016] [Accepted: 12/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
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Kapadia M, Mian MF, Michalski B, Azam AB, Ma D, Salwierz P, Christopher A, Rosa E, Zovkic IB, Forsythe P, Fahnestock M, Sakic B. Sex-Dependent Differences in Spontaneous Autoimmunity in Adult 3xTg-AD Mice. J Alzheimers Dis 2018; 63:1191-1205. [DOI: 10.3233/jad-170779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Minesh Kapadia
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - M. Firoz Mian
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Bernadeta Michalski
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Amber B. Azam
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Donglai Ma
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Patrick Salwierz
- Biochemistry and Bachelor of Health Sciences Undergraduate programs, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Adam Christopher
- Biochemistry and Bachelor of Health Sciences Undergraduate programs, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Elyse Rosa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Iva B. Zovkic
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Paul Forsythe
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Margaret Fahnestock
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Boris Sakic
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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Martins IV, Rivers-Auty J, Allan SM, Lawrence CB. Mitochondrial Abnormalities and Synaptic Loss Underlie Memory Deficits Seen in Mouse Models of Obesity and Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2018; 55:915-932. [PMID: 27802235 PMCID: PMC5278950 DOI: 10.3233/jad-160640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Obesity is associated with impaired memory in humans, and obesity induced by high-fat diets leads to cognitive deficits in rodents and in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, it remains unclear how high-fat diets contribute to memory impairment. Therefore, we tested the effect of a high-fat diet on memory in male and female control non-transgenic (Non-Tg) and triple-transgenic AD (3xTgAD) mice and determined if a high-fat diet caused similar ultrastructural abnormalities to those observed in AD. Behavior was assessed in mice on control or high-fat diet at 4, 8, or 14 months of age and ultrastructural analysis at 8 months of age. A high-fat diet increased body weight, fat weight, and insulin levels with some differences in these metabolic responses observed between Non-Tg and 3xTgAD mice. In both sexes, high-fat feeding caused memory impairments in Non-Tg mice and accelerated memory deficits in 3xTgAD mice. In 3xTgAD mice, changes in hippocampal mitochondrial morphology were observed in capillaries and brain neuropil that were accompanied by a reduction in synapse number. A high-fat diet also caused mitochondria abnormalities and a reduction in synapse number in Non-Tg mice, but did not exacerbate the changes seen in 3xTgAD mice. Our data demonstrate that a high-fat diet affected memory in Non-Tg mice and produced similar impairments in mitochondrial morphology and synapse number comparable to those seen in AD mice, suggesting that the detrimental effects of a high-fat diet on memory might be due to changes in mitochondrial morphology leading to a reduction in synaptic number.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Catherine B. Lawrence
- Correspondence to: Catherine B. Lawrence, PhD, Faculty of Life Sciences, A.V. Hill Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK. Tel.: +44 161 275 5253; E-mail:
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Baeta-Corral R, Johansson B, Giménez-Llort L. Long-term Treatment with Low-Dose Caffeine Worsens BPSD-Like Profile in 3xTg-AD Mice Model of Alzheimer's Disease and Affects Mice with Normal Aging. Front Pharmacol 2018; 9:79. [PMID: 29497377 PMCID: PMC5818407 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2018.00079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Accepted: 01/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Coffee or caffeine has recently been suggested as prophylaxis for dementia. Although memory problems are hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease, this dementia is also characterized by neuropsychiatric symptoms called Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD). The impact of preventive/therapeutic strategies on both cognitive and non-cognitive symptoms can be addressed in the 3xTg-AD mice, since they exhibit cognitive but also BPSD-like profiles. Here, we studied the long-term effects of a low dose of caffeine in male 3xTg-AD mice and as compared to age-matched non-transgenic (NTg) counterparts with normal aging. Animals were treated (water or caffeine in drinking water) from adulthood (6 months of age) until middle-aged (13 months of age), that in 3xTg-AD mice correspond to onset of cognitive impairment and advanced stages, respectively. The low caffeine dosing used (0.3 mg/ml) was previously found to give a plasma concentration profile in mice roughly equivalent to that of a human coffee drinker. There were significant effects of caffeine on most behavioral variables, especially those related to neophobia and other anxiety-like behaviors, emotionality, and cognitive flexibility. The 3xTg-AD and NTg mice were differently influenced by caffeine. Overall, the increase of neophobia and other anxiety-related behaviors resulted in an exacerbation of BPSD-like profile in 3xTg-AD mice. Learning and memory, strongly influenced by anxiety in 3xTg-AD mice, got little benefit from caffeine, only shown after a detailed analysis of navigation strategies. The worsened pattern in NTg mice and the use of search strategies in 3xTg-AD mice make both groups more similar. Circadian motor activity showed genotype differences, which were found to be enhanced by caffeine. Selective effects of caffeine on NTg were found in the modulation of behaviors related to emotional profile and risk assessment. Caffeine normalized splenomegaly of 3xTg-AD mice, a physical indicator of their impaired peripheral immune system, and trended to increase their corticosterone levels. Our observations of adverse caffeine effects in an Alzheimer's disease model together with previous clinical observations suggest that an exacerbation of BPSD-like symptoms may partly interfere with the beneficial cognitive effects of caffeine. These results are relevant when coffee-derived new potential treatments for dementia are to be devised and tested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Baeta-Corral
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Björn Johansson
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
- Department of Geriatrics, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna, Sweden
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Tai LM, Balu D, Avila-Munoz E, Abdullah L, Thomas R, Collins N, Valencia-Olvera AC, LaDu MJ. EFAD transgenic mice as a human APOE relevant preclinical model of Alzheimer's disease. J Lipid Res 2017; 58:1733-1755. [PMID: 28389477 PMCID: PMC5580905 DOI: 10.1194/jlr.r076315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2017] [Revised: 04/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Identified in 1993, APOE4 is the greatest genetic risk factor for sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD), increasing risk up to 15-fold compared with APOE3, with APOE2 decreasing AD risk. However, the functional effects of APOE4 on AD pathology remain unclear and, in some cases, controversial. In vivo progress to understand how the human (h)-APOE genotypes affect AD pathology has been limited by the lack of a tractable familial AD-transgenic (FAD-Tg) mouse model expressing h-APOE rather than mouse (m)-APOE. The disparity between m- and h-apoE is relevant for virtually every AD-relevant pathway, including amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition and clearance, neuroinflammation, tau pathology, neural plasticity and cerebrovascular deficits. EFAD mice were designed as a temporally useful preclinical FAD-Tg-mouse model expressing the h-APOE genotypes for identifying mechanisms underlying APOE-modulated symptoms of AD pathology. From their first description in 2012, EFAD mice have enabled critical basic and therapeutic research. Here we review insights gleaned from the EFAD mice and summarize future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leon M Tai
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612
| | - Deebika Balu
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612
| | - Evangelina Avila-Munoz
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612
| | | | - Riya Thomas
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612
| | - Nicole Collins
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612
| | | | - Mary Jo LaDu
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612.
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Torres-Lista V, De la Fuente M, Giménez-Llort L. Survival Curves and Behavioral Profiles of Female 3xTg-AD Mice Surviving to 18-Months of Age as Compared to Mice with Normal Aging. J Alzheimers Dis Rep 2017; 1:47-57. [PMID: 30480229 PMCID: PMC6159713 DOI: 10.3233/adr-170011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
New evidence reveals a high degree of heterogeneity in Alzheimer's disease (AD) clinical and temporal patterns, supporting the existence of several subgroups of patients. Prognosticators of end-of-life dementia specific to elderly patients are necessary to address this heterogeneity. Among 3xTg-AD mice, a widely-used model for AD, a very small number of animals overcome advanced neuropathological stages of disease beyond 18 months of age. They are usually females, which reach longevity in spite of worse neuropathological status as compared to males (the morbidity/mortality paradox). We posit that 3xTg-AD long-term survivors could serve to model end-of-life dementia but also aware about the mortality selection bias. In the present study, we performed behavioral and functional phenotype in long-term survivors, 18-month-old female 3xTg-AD mice and age-matched wildtype undergoing normal aging. Animals were followed up until natural death to correlate survival with phenotype assessments. Strong similarity of their behavioral profiles in all the variables analyzed (e.g. reflexes, sensorimotor functions, locomotion, exploration, emotionality, and anxiety-like behaviors) was found, with the exception of memory impairment, which was a salient trait in old 3xTg-AD survivors. The two groups showed similar mean life expectancy and had behavioral correlates among lifespan, neophobia and long-term memory in common, with some distinctions in 3xTg-AD, supporting recent studies in end-of-life patients. In spite of the small sample size, this brief report presents an interesting scenario to further study heterogeneity and survival in Alzheimer's disease. 3xTg-AD survivors may be a model to gain insight into the frailty/survival paradigm in normal and pathological aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Torres-Lista
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mónica De la Fuente
- Department of Animal Physiology II, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Water and T-maze protocols are equally efficient methods to assess spatial memory in 3xTg Alzheimer’s disease mice. Behav Brain Res 2017; 331:54-66. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2016] [Revised: 04/09/2017] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
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Environmental enrichment reduces brain damage in hydrocephalic immature rats. Childs Nerv Syst 2017; 33:921-931. [PMID: 28382436 DOI: 10.1007/s00381-017-3403-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2015] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE We investigate the effects of environmental enrichment (EE) on morphological alterations in different brain structures of pup rats submitted to hydrocephalus condition. METHODS Hydrocephalus was induced in 7-day-old pup rats by injection of 20% kaolin into the cisterna magna. Ventricular dilatation and magnetization transfer to analyze myelin were assessed by magnetic resonance. Hydrocephalic and control rats exposed to EE (n = 10 per group) were housed in cages with a tunnel, ramp, and colored plastic balls that would emit sound when touched. The walls of the housing were decorated with colored adhesive tape. Moreover, tactile and auditory stimulation was performed daily throughout the experiment. Hydrocephalic and control rats not exposed to EE (n = 10 per group) were allocated singly in standard cages. All animals were weighed daily and exposed to open-field conditions every 2 days until the end of the experiment when they were sacrificed and the brains removed for histology and immunohistochemistry. Solochrome cyanine staining was performed to assess the thickness of the corpus callosum. The glial fibrillary acidic protein method was used to evaluate reactive astrocytes, and the Ki67 method to assess cellular proliferation in the subventricular zone. RESULTS The hydrocephalic animals exposed to EE showed better performance in Open Field tests (p < 0.05), while presenting lower weight gain. In addition, these animals showed better myelination as revealed by magnetization transfer (p < 0.05). Finally, the EE group showed a reduction in reactive astrocytes by means of glial fibrillary acidic protein immunostaining and preservation of the proliferation potential of progenitor cells. CONCLUSION The results suggest that EE can protect the developing brain against damaging effects caused by hydrocephalus.
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Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis along the Dorsoventral Axis Contributes Differentially to Environmental Enrichment Combined with Voluntary Exercise in Alleviating Chronic Inflammatory Pain in Mice. J Neurosci 2017; 37:4145-4157. [PMID: 28292830 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3333-16.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2016] [Revised: 02/27/2017] [Accepted: 03/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive behavioral therapy, such as environmental enrichment combined with voluntary exercise (EE-VEx), is under active investigation as an adjunct to pharmaceutical treatment for chronic pain. However, the effectiveness and underlying mechanisms of EE-VEx remain unclear. In mice with intraplantar injection of complete Freund's adjuvant, our results revealed that EE-VEx alleviated perceptual, affective, and cognitive dimensions of chronic inflammatory pain. These effects of EE-VEx on chronic pain were contingent on the occurrence of adult neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus in a functionally dissociated manner along the dorsoventral axis: neurogenesis in the ventral dentate gyrus participated in alleviating perceptual and affective components of chronic pain by EE-VEx, whereas neurogenesis in the dorsal dentate gyrus was involved in EE-VEx's cognitive-enhancing effects. Chronic inflammatory pain was accompanied by decreased levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the dentate gyrus, which were reversed by EE-VEx. Overexpression of BDNF in the dentate gyrus mimicked the effects of EE-VEx. Our results demonstrate distinct contribution of adult hippocampal neurogenesis along the dorsoventral axis to EE-VEx's beneficial effects on different dimensions of chronic pain.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Environmental enrichment combined with voluntary exercise (EE-VEx) is under active investigation as an adjunct to pharmaceutical treatment for chronic pain, but its effectiveness and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In a mouse model of inflammatory pain, the present study demonstrates that the beneficial effects of EE-VEx on chronic pain depend on adult neurogenesis with a dorsoventral dissociation along the hippocampal axis. Adult neurogenesis in the ventral dentate gyrus participates in alleviating perceptual and affective components of chronic pain by EE-VEx, whereas that in the dorsal pole is involved in EE-VEx's cognitive-enhancing effects in chronic pain.
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Li X, Wang Z, Tan L, Wang Y, Lu C, Chen R, Zhang S, Gao Y, Liu Y, Yin Y, Liu X, Liu E, Yang Y, Hu Y, Xu Z, Xu F, Wang J, Liu GP, Wang JZ. Correcting miR92a-vGAT-Mediated GABAergic Dysfunctions Rescues Human Tau-Induced Anxiety in Mice. Mol Ther 2017; 25:140-152. [PMID: 28129110 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2016.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2016] [Revised: 10/10/2016] [Accepted: 10/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) commonly show anxiety behaviors, but the molecular mechanisms are not clear and no efficient intervention exists. Here, we found that overexpression of human wild-type, full-length tau (termed htau) in hippocampus significantly decreased the extracellular γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) level with inhibition of γ oscillation and the evoked inhibitory postsynaptic potential (eIPSP). With tau accumulation, the mice show age-dependent anxiety behaviors. Among the factors responsible for GABA synthesis, release, uptake, and transport, we found that accumulation of htau selectively suppressed expression of the intracellular vesicular GABA transporter (vGAT). Tau accumulation increased miR92a, which targeted vGAT mRNA 3' UTR and inhibited vGAT translation. Importantly, we found that upregulating GABA tones by intraperitoneal injection of midazolam (a GABA agonist), ChR2-mediated photostimulating and overexpressing vGAT, or blocking miR92a by using specific antagomir or inhibitor efficiently rescued the htau-induced GABAergic dysfunctions with attenuation of anxiety. Finally, we also demonstrated that vGAT level decreased while the miR92a increased in the AD brains. These findings demonstrate that the AD-like tau accumulation induces anxiety through disrupting miR92a-vGAT-GABA signaling, which reveals molecular mechanisms underlying the anxiety behavior in AD patients and potentially leads to the development of new therapeutics for tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoguang Li
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Zhihao Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Lu Tan
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Diagnosis of Hubei Province, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430014, China
| | - Yali Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Physiology Department, Henan Provincial Key Laboratory for Brain Research, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453000, China
| | - Chengbiao Lu
- Physiology Department, Henan Provincial Key Laboratory for Brain Research, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453000, China
| | - Rongxiang Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Magnet Resonance and Atom and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academia of Science, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Shujuan Zhang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Yuan Gao
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Yanchao Liu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Yaling Yin
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Xinghua Liu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Enjie Liu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Ying Yang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Yu Hu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Zhipeng Xu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Fuqiang Xu
- State Key Laboratory for Magnet Resonance and Atom and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academia of Science, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Jie Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Magnet Resonance and Atom and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academia of Science, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Gong-Ping Liu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China.
| | - Jian-Zhi Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China.
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Herring A, Münster Y, Metzdorf J, Bolczek B, Krüssel S, Krieter D, Yavuz I, Karim F, Roggendorf C, Stang A, Wang Y, Hermann DM, Teuber-Hanselmann S, Keyvani K. Late running is not too late against Alzheimer's pathology. Neurobiol Dis 2016; 94:44-54. [PMID: 27312772 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2016.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2016] [Revised: 05/27/2016] [Accepted: 06/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last decade a vast number of animal studies have produced overwhelming evidence that exercise not only compensates for memory loss by increasing brain plasticity and cognitive reserve but also directly counteracts Alzheimer-like pathology when provided before disease onset or in early disease stages. But so far, there is little knowledge about therapeutic effects of training when started in advanced disease stages. In the present study we show that following seven months of sedentary life style five months of wheel running, started four months after disease onset was still able to mitigate at least some aspects of the full-blown Alzheimer's pathology in TgCRND8 mice. Late running had mild but significant effects on structural plasticity by increasing the dendritic complexity. It further reduced beta-amyloid (Aβ) plaque burden and enhanced Aβ clearance across the blood-brain barrier, along with attenuating microgliosis, inflammation, oxidative stress, and autophagy deficits, resulting in better memory performance and less agitation. However, unlike early exercise, late running did not affect abnormal amyloid precursor protein metabolism, tau pathology, or angiogenesis. These results allow concluding that it is never too late to counteract Alzheimer's disease with physical training but the earlier the intervention starts, the more pronounced is the therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arne Herring
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Yvonne Münster
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Judith Metzdorf
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Bastien Bolczek
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Sarah Krüssel
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - David Krieter
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Ilkay Yavuz
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Fro Karim
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Constanze Roggendorf
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Anthony Stang
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Yachao Wang
- Department of Neurology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Dirk M Hermann
- Department of Neurology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Sarah Teuber-Hanselmann
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Kathy Keyvani
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany.
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Activity of muscarinic, galanin and cannabinoid receptors in the prodromal and advanced stages in the triple transgenic mice model of Alzheimer's disease. Neuroscience 2016; 329:284-93. [PMID: 27223629 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2016] [Revised: 05/09/2016] [Accepted: 05/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Neurochemical alterations in Alzheimer's disease (AD) include cholinergic neuronal loss in the nucleus basalis of Meynert (nbM) and a decrease in densities of the M2 muscarinic receptor subtype in areas related to learning and memory. Neuromodulators present in the cholinergic pathways, such as neuropeptides and neurolipids, control these cognitive processes and have become targets of research in order to understand and treat the pathophysiological and clinical stages of the disease. This is the case of the endocannabinoid and galaninergic systems, which have been found to be up-regulated in AD, and could therefore have a neuroprotective role. In the present study, the functional coupling of Gi/o protein-coupled receptors to GalR1, and the CB1 receptor subtype for endocannabinoids were analyzed in the 3xTg-AD mice model of AD. In addition, the activity mediated by Gi/o protein-coupled M2/4 muscarinic receptor subtypes was also analyzed in brain areas involved in anxiety and cognition. Thus, male mice were studied at 4 and 15months of age (prodromal and advanced stages, respectively) and compared to age-matched non-transgenic (NTg) mice (adult and old, respectively). In 4-month-old 3xTg-AD mice, the [(35)S]GTPγS binding stimulated by galanin was significantly increased in the hypothalamus, but a decrease of functional M2/4 receptors was observed in the posterior amygdala. The CB1 cannabinoid receptor activity was up-regulated in the anterior thalamus at that age. In 15-month-old 3xTg-AD mice, muscarinic receptor activity was found to be increased in motor cortex, while CB1 activity was decreased in nbM. No changes were found in GalR1-mediated activity at this age. Our results provide further evidence of the relevance of limbic areas in the prodromal stage of AD, the profile of which is characterized by anxiety. The up-regulation of galaninergic and endocannabinoid systems support the hypothesis of their neuroprotective roles, and these are established prior to the onset of clear clinical cognitive symptoms of the disease.
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Moser VA, Pike CJ. Obesity and sex interact in the regulation of Alzheimer's disease. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 67:102-18. [PMID: 26708713 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.08.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2015] [Revised: 08/01/2015] [Accepted: 08/03/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, for which a number of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle risk factors have been identified. A significant modifiable risk factor is obesity in mid-life. Interestingly, both obesity and AD exhibit sex differences and are regulated by sex steroid hormones. Accumulating evidence suggests interactions between obesity and sex in regulation of AD risk, although the pathways underlying this relationship are unclear. Inflammation and the E4 allele of apolipoprotein E have been identified as independent risk factors for AD and both interact with obesity and sex steroid hormones. We review the individual and cooperative effects of obesity and sex on development of AD and examine the potential contributions of apolipoprotein E, inflammation, and their interactions to this relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Alexandra Moser
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
| | - Christian J Pike
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
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48
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Environmental enrichment as a method to improve cognitive function. What can we learn from animal models? Neuroimage 2015; 131:42-7. [PMID: 26656208 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.11.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2015] [Revised: 11/12/2015] [Accepted: 11/15/2015] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
There is substantial evidence that physical and cognitive exercise can enhance memory function in rodents as well as in humans. In addition various behaviors associated with physical activity have been associated with an increased cognitive reserve and a lower risk to develop age-associated memory decline and age-associated neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. To better understand the molecular mechanisms that increase brain plasticity in response to exercise will therefore help to develop effective therapeutic strategies to treat memory decline. Here we review the currently available data with a specific focus on neurodegenerative diseases.
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Torres-Lista V, Giménez-Llort L. Early postnatal handling and environmental enrichment improve the behavioral responses of 17-month-old 3xTg-AD and non-transgenic mice in the Forced Swim Test in a gender-dependent manner. Behav Processes 2015; 120:120-7. [PMID: 26431900 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2015.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2014] [Revised: 09/14/2015] [Accepted: 09/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Forced Swimming Test (FST) models behavioural despair in animals by loss of motivation to respond or the refusal to escape. The present study was aimed at characterizing genetic (genotype and gender) and environmental factors (age/stage of disease and rearing conditions: C, standard; H, early postnatal handling; EE, environmental enrichment consisting in physical exercise as well as social and object enrichment) that may modulate the poor behavioural and cognitive flexibility response we have recently described in 12-month-old male 3xTg-AD mice in the FST. The comprehensive analysis of the ethogram shown in the FST considered the intervals of the test (0-2 and 2-6min), all the elicited behavioural responses (immobility, swimming and climbing) and their features (total duration and frequency of episodes). The long persistence of behaviours found in 17-month-old (late-stages of disease) 3xTg-AD mice was comparable to that recently described in males at 12 months of age (beginning of advanced stages) but also suggested increased age-dependent frailty in both genotypes. The poor behavioral flexibility of 3xTg-AD mice to elicit the behavioural despair shown by the NTg mice, was also found in the female gender. Finally, the present work demonstrates that early-life interventions were able to improve the time and frequency of episodes of immobility, being more evident in the female gender of both old NTg and 3xTg-AD mice. Ontogenic modulation by early-postnatal handling resulted in a more effective long-term improvement of the elicited behaviours in the FST than that achieved by environmental enrichment. The results talk in favor of the beneficence of early-life interventions on ageing in both healthy and disease conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Torres-Lista
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain; Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain; Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.
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Nobiletin, a citrus flavonoid, improves cognitive impairment and reduces soluble Aβ levels in a triple transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (3XTg-AD). Behav Brain Res 2015; 289:69-77. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.04.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2015] [Revised: 04/13/2015] [Accepted: 04/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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