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Chittimalli K, Adkins S, Arora S, Singh J, Jarajapu YP. An Investigation of the Inflammatory Landscape in the Brain and Bone Marrow of the APP/PS1 Mouse. J Alzheimers Dis Rep 2024; 8:981-998. [PMID: 39114548 PMCID: PMC11305850 DOI: 10.3233/adr-240024] [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: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The APP/PS1 mouse model recapitulates pathology of human Alzheimer's disease (AD). While amyloid-β peptide deposition and neurodegeneration are features of AD, the pathology may involve inflammation and impaired vascular regeneration. Objective This study evaluated inflammatory environments in the brain and bone marrow (BM), and the impact on brain microvascular density. Methods BM and frontal cortex from male nine-month-old APP/PS1 or the control C57Bl6/j mice were studied. Vascular density and inflammatory cells were evaluated in the sections of frontal cortex by immunohistochemistry. Different subsets of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (BM) and monocyte-macrophages were characterized by flow cytometry and by clonogenic assays. Myelopoietic or inflammatory factors were evaluated by real-time RT-PCR or by western blotting. Results CD34+ or CD31+ vascular structures were lower (p < 0.01, n = 6) in the frontal cortex that was associated with decreased number of Lin-Sca-1+cKit+ vasculogenic progenitor cells in the BM and circulation (p < 0.02, n = 6) compared to the control. Multipotent progenitor cells MPP4, common lymphoid, common myeloid and myeloid progenitor cells were higher in the APP/PS1-BM compared to the control, which agreed with increased numbers of monocytes and pro-inflammatory macrophages. The expression of pro-myelopoietic factors and alarmins was higher in the APP/PS1 BM-HSPCs or in the BM-supernatants compared to the control. Frontal cortices of APP/PS1 mice showed higher number of pro-inflammatory macrophages (CD11b+F4/80+ or CD80+) and microglia (OX42+Iba1+). Conclusions These findings show that AD pathology in APP/PS1 mice is associated with upregulated myelopoiesis, which contributes to the brain inflammation and decreased vascularity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kishore Chittimalli
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA
| | - Stephen Adkins
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA
| | - Sanjay Arora
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA
| | - Jagdish Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA
| | - Yagna P.R. Jarajapu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA
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2
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Kolinko Y, Kralickova M, Cendelin J. Reduction of Microvessel Number and Length in the Cerebellum of Purkinje Cell Degeneration Mice. CEREBELLUM (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2024; 23:471-478. [PMID: 37071329 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-023-01556-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023]
Abstract
Degenerative effects of nerve tissues are often accompanied by changes in vascularization. In this regard, knowledge about hereditary cerebellar degeneration is limited. In this study, we compared the vascularity of the individual cerebellar components of 3-month-old wild-type mice (n = 8) and Purkinje cell degeneration (pcd) mutant mice, which represent a model of hereditary cerebellar degeneration (n = 8). Systematic random samples of tissue sections were processed, and laminin was immunostained to visualize microvessels. A computer-assisted stereology system was used to quantify microvessel parameters including total number, total length, and associated densities in cerebellar layers. Our results in pcd mice revealed a 45% (p < 0.01) reduction in the total volume of the cerebellum, a 28% (p < 0.05) reduction in the total number of vessels and a lower total length, approaching 50% (p < 0.001), compared to the control mice. In pcd mutants, cerebellar degeneration is accompanied by significant reduction in the microvascular network that is proportional to the cerebellar volume reduction therefore does not change density of in the cerebellar gray matter of pcd mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaroslav Kolinko
- Biomedical Center in Pilsen, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Pilsen, Czech Republic.
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Pilsen, Czech Republic.
| | - Milena Kralickova
- Biomedical Center in Pilsen, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Pilsen, Czech Republic
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Pilsen, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Cendelin
- Biomedical Center in Pilsen, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Pilsen, Czech Republic
- Department of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Pilsen, Czech Republic
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3
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Fisher RA, Miners JS, Love S. Pathological changes within the cerebral vasculature in Alzheimer's disease: New perspectives. Brain Pathol 2022; 32:e13061. [PMID: 35289012 PMCID: PMC9616094 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.13061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cerebrovascular disease underpins vascular dementia (VaD), but structural and functional changes to the cerebral vasculature contribute to disease pathology and cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this review, we discuss the contribution of cerebral amyloid angiopathy and non‐amyloid small vessel disease in AD, and the accompanying changes to the density, maintenance and remodelling of vessels (including alterations to the composition and function of the cerebrovascular basement membrane). We consider how abnormalities of the constituent cells of the neurovascular unit – particularly of endothelial cells and pericytes – and impairment of the blood‐brain barrier (BBB) impact on the pathogenesis of AD. We also discuss how changes to the cerebral vasculature are likely to impair Aβ clearance – both intra‐periarteriolar drainage (IPAD) and transport of Aβ peptides across the BBB, and how impaired neurovascular coupling and reduced blood flow in relation to metabolic demand increase amyloidogenic processing of APP and the production of Aβ. We review the vasoactive properties of Aβ peptides themselves, and the probable bi‐directional relationship between vascular dysfunction and Aβ accumulation in AD. Lastly, we discuss recent methodological advances in transcriptomics and imaging that have provided novel insights into vascular changes in AD, and recent advances in assessment of the retina that allow in vivo detection of vascular changes in the early stages of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A Fisher
- Dementia Research Group, University of Bristol Medical School, Bristol, UK
| | - J Scott Miners
- Dementia Research Group, University of Bristol Medical School, Bristol, UK
| | - Seth Love
- Dementia Research Group, University of Bristol Medical School, Bristol, UK
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4
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Kolinko Y, Marsalova L, Proskauer Pena S, Kralickova M, Mouton PR. Stereological Changes in Microvascular Parameters in Hippocampus of a Transgenic Rat Model of Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 84:249-260. [PMID: 34542078 PMCID: PMC8609684 DOI: 10.3233/jad-210738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Background: Microcirculatory factors play an important role in amyloid-β (Aβ)-related neuropathology in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Transgenic (Tg) rat models of mutant Aβ deposition can enhance our understanding of this microvascular pathology. Objective: Here we report stereology-based quantification and comparisons (between- and within-group) of microvessel length and number and associated parameters in hippocampal subregions in Tg model of AD in Fischer 344 rats and non-Tg littermates. Methods: Systematic-random samples of tissue sections were processed and laminin immunostained to visualize microvessels through the entire hippocampus in Tg and non-Tg rats. A computer-assisted stereology system was used to quantify microvessel parameters including total number, total length, and associated densities in dentate gyrus (DG) and cornu ammonis (CA) subregions. Results: Thin hair-like capillaries are common near Aβ plaques in hippocampal subregions of Tg rats. There are a 53% significant increase in average length per capillary across entire hippocampus (p≤0.04) in Tg compared to non-Tg rats; 49% reduction in capillary length in DG (p≤0.02); and, higher microvessel density in principal cell layers (p≤0.03). Furthermore, within-group comparisons confirm Tg but not non-Tg rats have significant increase in number density (p≤0.01) and potential diffusion distance (p≤0.04) of microvessels in principal cell layers of hippocampal subregions. Conclusion: We show the Tg deposition of human Aβ mutations in rats disrupts the wild-type microanatomy of hippocampal microvessels. Stereology-based microvascular parameters could promote the development of novel strategies for protection and the therapeutic management of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaroslav Kolinko
- Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Pilsen, Czech Republic.,Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Pilsen, Czech Republic
| | - Lucie Marsalova
- Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Pilsen, Czech Republic.,Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Pilsen, Czech Republic
| | | | - Milena Kralickova
- Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Pilsen, Czech Republic.,Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Pilsen, Czech Republic
| | - Peter R Mouton
- SRC Biosciences, Tampa, FL, USA.,University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
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5
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Skaaraas GHES, Melbye C, Puchades MA, Leung DSY, Jacobsen Ø, Rao SB, Ottersen OP, Leergaard TB, Torp R. Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease Associates with Upregulated Angiopoietin and Downregulated Hypoxia-Inducible Factor. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 83:1651-1663. [PMID: 34459401 PMCID: PMC8609707 DOI: 10.3233/jad-210571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Background: Vascular pathology is a common feature in patients with advanced Alzheimer’s disease, with cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) and microvascular changes commonly observed at autopsies and in genetic mouse models. However, despite a plethora of studies addressing the possible impact of CAA on brain vasculature, results have remained contradictory, showing reduced, unchanged, or even increased capillary densities in human and rodent brains overexpressing amyloid-β in Alzheimer’s disease and Down’s syndrome. Objective: We asked if CAA is associated with changes in angiogenetic factors or receptors and if so, whether this would translate into morphological alterations in pericyte coverage and vessel density. Methods: We utilized the transgenic mice carrying the Arctic (E693G) and Swedish (KM670/6701NL) amyloid precursor protein which develop severe CAA in addition to parenchymal plaques. Results: The main finding of the present study was that CAA in Tg-ArcSwe mice is associated with upregulated angiopoietin and downregulated hypoxia-inducible factor. In the same mice, we combined immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy to quantify the extent of CAA and investigate to which degree vessels associated with amyloid plaques were pathologically affected. We found that despite a severe amount of CAA and alterations in several angiogenetic factors in Tg-ArcSwe mice, this was not translated into significant morphological alterations like changes in pericyte coverage or vessel density. Conclusion: Our data suggest that CAA does not impact vascular density but might affect capillary turnover by causing changes in the expression levels of angiogenetic factors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christoffer Melbye
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Maja A Puchades
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Doreen Siu Yi Leung
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Shreyas B Rao
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ole Petter Ottersen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Trygve B Leergaard
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Reidun Torp
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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6
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Szu JI, Obenaus A. Cerebrovascular phenotypes in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2021; 41:1821-1841. [PMID: 33557692 PMCID: PMC8327123 DOI: 10.1177/0271678x21992462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating neurological degenerative disorder and is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly. Clinically, AD manifests with memory and cognitive decline associated with deposition of hallmark amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Although the mechanisms underlying AD remains unclear, two hypotheses have been proposed. The established amyloid hypothesis states that Aβ accumulation is the basis of AD and leads to formation of NFTs. In contrast, the two-hit vascular hypothesis suggests that early vascular damage leads to increased accumulation of Aβ deposits in the brain. Multiple studies have reported significant morphological changes of the cerebrovasculature which can result in severe functional deficits. In this review, we delve into known structural and functional vascular alterations in various mouse models of AD and the cellular and molecular constituents that influence these changes to further disease progression. Many studies shed light on the direct impact of Aβ on the cerebrovasculature and how it is disrupted during the progression of AD. However, more research directed towards an improved understanding of how the cerebrovasculature is modified over the time course of AD is needed prior to developing future interventional strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny I Szu
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - André Obenaus
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
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7
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Alvarez-Vergara MI, Rosales-Nieves AE, March-Diaz R, Rodriguez-Perinan G, Lara-Ureña N, Ortega-de San Luis C, Sanchez-Garcia MA, Martin-Bornez M, Gómez-Gálvez P, Vicente-Munuera P, Fernandez-Gomez B, Marchena MA, Bullones-Bolanos AS, Davila JC, Gonzalez-Martinez R, Trillo-Contreras JL, Sanchez-Hidalgo AC, Del Toro R, Scholl FG, Herrera E, Trepel M, Körbelin J, Escudero LM, Villadiego J, Echevarria M, de Castro F, Gutierrez A, Rabano A, Vitorica J, Pascual A. Non-productive angiogenesis disassembles Aß plaque-associated blood vessels. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3098. [PMID: 34035282 PMCID: PMC8149638 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23337-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The human Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain accumulates angiogenic markers but paradoxically, the cerebral microvasculature is reduced around Aß plaques. Here we demonstrate that angiogenesis is started near Aß plaques in both AD mouse models and human AD samples. However, endothelial cells express the molecular signature of non-productive angiogenesis (NPA) and accumulate, around Aß plaques, a tip cell marker and IB4 reactive vascular anomalies with reduced NOTCH activity. Notably, NPA induction by endothelial loss of presenilin, whose mutations cause familial AD and which activity has been shown to decrease with age, produced a similar vascular phenotype in the absence of Aß pathology. We also show that Aß plaque-associated NPA locally disassembles blood vessels, leaving behind vascular scars, and that microglial phagocytosis contributes to the local loss of endothelial cells. These results define the role of NPA and microglia in local blood vessel disassembly and highlight the vascular component of presenilin loss of function in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria I Alvarez-Vergara
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Alicia E Rosales-Nieves
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Rosana March-Diaz
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Guiomar Rodriguez-Perinan
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Nieves Lara-Ureña
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Clara Ortega-de San Luis
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College of Dublin, D2, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Manuel A Sanchez-Garcia
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Miguel Martin-Bornez
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Pedro Gómez-Gálvez
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
- Department of Biología Celular, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo Vicente-Munuera
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
- Department of Biología Celular, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Miguel A Marchena
- Grupo de Neurobiología del Desarrollo-GNDe, Instituto Cajal-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias, Biomédicas y de la Salud, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Villaviciosa de Odón, Spain
| | - Andrea S Bullones-Bolanos
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Jose C Davila
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Biologia Celular, Genetica y Fisiologia, Facultad de Ciencias, Instituto de Investigacion Biomedica de Malaga (IBIMA), Universidad de Malaga, Malaga, Spain
| | - Rocio Gonzalez-Martinez
- Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Miguel Hernández (CSIC-UMH), Alicante, Spain
| | - Jose L Trillo-Contreras
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
- Department of Fisiología Médica y Biofisica, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Ana C Sanchez-Hidalgo
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
- Department of Fisiología Médica y Biofisica, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Raquel Del Toro
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
- Department of Fisiología Médica y Biofisica, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBER-CV), Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco G Scholl
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
- Department of Fisiología Médica y Biofisica, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Eloisa Herrera
- Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Miguel Hernández (CSIC-UMH), Alicante, Spain
| | - Martin Trepel
- Augsburg Medical Center, Department of Hematology and Oncology, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Jakob Körbelin
- Section of Pneumology, Department of Oncology, Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Luis M Escudero
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
- Department of Biología Celular, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Villadiego
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Fisiología Médica y Biofisica, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Miriam Echevarria
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Fisiología Médica y Biofisica, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Fernando de Castro
- Grupo de Neurobiología del Desarrollo-GNDe, Instituto Cajal-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonia Gutierrez
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Biologia Celular, Genetica y Fisiologia, Facultad de Ciencias, Instituto de Investigacion Biomedica de Malaga (IBIMA), Universidad de Malaga, Malaga, Spain
| | | | - Javier Vitorica
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Bioquimica y Biologia Molecular, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Alberto Pascual
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain.
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8
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Rhea EM, Raber J, Banks WA. ApoE and cerebral insulin: Trafficking, receptors, and resistance. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 137:104755. [PMID: 31978603 PMCID: PMC7050417 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.104755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Revised: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Central nervous system (CNS) insulin resistance is associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). In addition, the apolipoprotein E4 (apoE4) isoform is a risk factor for AD. The connection between these two factors in relation to AD is being actively explored. We summarize this literature with a focus on the transport of insulin and apoE across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and into the CNS, the impact of apoE and insulin on the BBB, and the interactions between apoE, insulin, and the insulin receptor once present in the CNS. We highlight how CNS insulin resistance is apparent in AD and potential ways to overcome this resistance by repurposing currently approved drugs, with apoE genotype taken into consideration as the treatment response following most interventions is apoE isoform-dependent. This review is part of a special issue focusing on apoE in AD and neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth M Rhea
- Research and Development, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Healthcare System, Seattle, WA 98108, United States of America; Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, United States of America.
| | - Jacob Raber
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, United States of America; Departments of Neurology and Radiation Medicine, Division of Neuroscience, ONPRC, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, United States of America
| | - William A Banks
- Research and Development, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Healthcare System, Seattle, WA 98108, United States of America; Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, United States of America
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9
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Zhang X, Yin X, Zhang J, Li A, Gong H, Luo Q, Zhang H, Gao Z, Jiang H. High-resolution mapping of brain vasculature and its impairment in the hippocampus of Alzheimer's disease mice. Natl Sci Rev 2019; 6:1223-1238. [PMID: 34692000 PMCID: PMC8291402 DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwz124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence indicates the critical importance of cerebrovascular dysfunction in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, systematic comparative studies on the precise brain vasculature of wild-type and AD model mice are still rare. Using an image-optimization method for analysing Micro-Optical Sectioning Tomography (MOST) data, we generated cross-scale whole-brain 3D atlases that cover the entire vascular system from large vessels down to smallest capillaries at submicron resolution, for both wild-type mice and a transgenic (APP/PS1) mouse model of AD. In addition to distinct vascular patterns in different brain regions, we found that the main vessels of the molecular layer of the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG-ml) undergo abrupt changes in both diameter and branch angle, spreading a unique comb-like pattern of capillaries. By using a quantitative analysis workflow, we identified in the hippocampus of AD mice an overall reduction of the mean vascular diameter, volume fraction and branch angle, with most significant impairment in the DG-ml. In addition, virtual endoscopy revealed irregular morphological features in the vessel lumen of the AD mice, potentially contributing to the impairment of blood flow. Our results demonstrate the capability of high-resolution cross-scale evaluation of brain vasculature and underscore the importance of studying hippocampal microcirculation for understanding AD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochuan Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Xianzhen Yin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jingjing Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Anan Li
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
- MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Hui Gong
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
- MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Qingming Luo
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
- MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Haiyan Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Zhaobing Gao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Hualiang Jiang
- School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 200031, China
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10
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Johnson LA, Torres ER, Weber Boutros S, Patel E, Akinyeke T, Alkayed NJ, Raber J. Apolipoprotein E4 mediates insulin resistance-associated cerebrovascular dysfunction and the post-prandial response. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2019; 39:770-781. [PMID: 29215310 PMCID: PMC6498752 DOI: 10.1177/0271678x17746186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Metabolic dysfunction, commonly a result of diets high in saturated fats and sugar, is associated with impaired cognitive function and an increased risk of age-related cognitive decline (ACD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Compared to the E3 isoform of apolipoprotein (apoE), the E4 isoform is a major genetic risk factor for ACD, AD, and for developing cognitive impairments following various environmental challenges, including dietary challenges such as a high-fat diet (HFD). Both insulin resistance (IR) and E4 are associated with metabolic and vascular impairments. Deficits in cerebral metabolism and cerebrovascular function have been proposed as initiating events leading to these impairments. In the current study, we employed a model of human apoE targeted replacement mice and HFD-induced obesity to study the potential link between E4 and IR, at rest and following a postprandial challenge. HFD-induced IR was associated with impaired cognition, reduced cerebral blood volume and decreased glucose uptake. These effects were more profound in E4 than E3 mice. Furthermore, the cognitive, metabolic and cerebrovascular responses to an exogenous glucose load showed an apoE isoform-dependent response, with E4, but not E3 mice, acutely benefiting from a spike in blood glucose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lance A Johnson
- 1 Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.,2 Department of Physiology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536 USA
| | - Eileen Ruth Torres
- 1 Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Sydney Weber Boutros
- 1 Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Esha Patel
- 1 Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Tunde Akinyeke
- 1 Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Nabil J Alkayed
- 3 Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.,4 Knight Cardiovascular Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Jacob Raber
- 1 Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.,5 Department of Neurology and Radiation Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
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11
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Zhang Y, Chao FL, Zhang L, Jiang L, Zhou CN, Chen LM, Lu W, Jiang R, Tang Y. Quantitative study of the capillaries within the white matter of the Tg2576 mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Brain Behav 2019; 9:e01268. [PMID: 30900389 PMCID: PMC6456816 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2018] [Revised: 02/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION To quantitatively investigate the capillaries within the white matter of Tg2576 Alzheimer's disease (AD) transgenic mice during the early stage. METHODS In the current study, 10-month-old male Tg2576 AD mice were used as the early-stage AD group and age-matched nontransgenic littermate mice were used as the wild-type group. Then, the Morris water maze was used to examine the spatial learning and memory abilities of the mice in both groups, and unbiased stereological methods were used to accurately quantify the volume of white matter and the parameters of the capillaries within the white matter, such as the total length, total volume, and total surface area of capillaries. RESULTS The Morris water maze performance of the Tg2576 group was worse than that of the wild-type group, while the white matter volume did not significantly differ between the wild-type group and the Tg2576 group. The total length, total volume, and total surface area of the capillaries within the white matter of the Tg2576 group were significantly decreased compared to those of the wild-type group. CONCLUSIONS The current study provide structural basis for understanding the pathological changes of the early stage of AD and cognitive decline in AD might be associated with changes in the white matter capillaries. Capillaries within the white matter might, thus, serve as a valid target for the prevention and treatment of early-stage AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Key Laboratory of Diagnostic Medicine, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Laboratory of Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Feng-Lei Chao
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Laboratory of Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Laboratory of Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Lin Jiang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Laboratory of Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Chun-Ni Zhou
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Laboratory of Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Lin-Mu Chen
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Laboratory of Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Wei Lu
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Laboratory of Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Rong Jiang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Laboratory of Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yong Tang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Laboratory of Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
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12
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Mouse models of Alzheimer's disease cause rarefaction of pial collaterals and increased severity of ischemic stroke. Angiogenesis 2019; 22:263-279. [PMID: 30519973 PMCID: PMC6475514 DOI: 10.1007/s10456-018-9655-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Vascular dysfunction contributes to the progression and severity of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Patients with AD also sustain larger infarctions after ischemic stroke; however, the responsible mechanisms are unknown. Pial collaterals are the primary source of protection in stroke. Unfortunately, natural aging and other vascular risk factors cause a decline in collateral number and diameter (rarefaction) and an increase in stroke severity. Herein, we tested the hypothesis that AD accelerates age-induced collateral rarefaction and examined potential underlying mechanisms. Triple and double transgenic mouse models of AD both sustained collateral rarefaction by 8 months of age, well before the onset of rarefaction caused by aging alone (16 months of age). Rarefaction, which did not progress further at 18 months of age, was accompanied by a twofold increase in infarct volume after MCA occlusion. AD did not induce rarefaction of similarly sized pial arterioles or penetrating arterioles. Rarefaction was minimal and occurred only at 18 months of age in a parenchymal vascular amyloid-beta model of AD. Rarefaction was not associated with amyloid-beta deposition on collaterals or pial arteries, nor was plaque burden or CD11b+ cell density greater in brain underlying the collateral zones versus elsewhere. However, rarefaction was accompanied by increased markers of oxidative stress, inflammation, and aging of collateral endothelial and mural cells. Moreover, rarefaction was lessened by deletion of CX3CR1 and prevented by overexpression of eNOS. These findings demonstrate that mouse models of AD promote rarefaction of pial collaterals and implicate inflammation-induced accelerated aging of collateral wall cells. Strategies that reduce vascular inflammation and/or increase nitric oxide may preserve collateral function.
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13
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West MJ. Space Balls Revisited: Stereological Estimates of Length With Virtual Isotropic Surface Probes. Front Neuroanat 2018; 12:49. [PMID: 29946242 PMCID: PMC6005839 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2018.00049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2017] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The space ball probe was fully described in the literature 15 years ago by Mouton et al. (2002). Since then, it has been used in a number of studies in the nervous system that focus on axon, dendrite, and capillary length. The length of structural parameters in tissues reflect functional aspects of the tissues. Here, some of the various applications of this methodology will be presented, along with a review of the salient features of the methodology that has resulted in new wave of quantitative morphological studies of length in the nervous system. The validity of the method is discussed in view of its widespread use along with insights into the problems associated with its application to histological tissue and future techniques for applying space balls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark J West
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University Faculty of Health Sciences, Aarhus, Denmark
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14
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Decker Y, Müller A, Németh E, Schulz-Schaeffer WJ, Fatar M, Menger MD, Liu Y, Fassbender K. Analysis of the vasculature by immunohistochemistry in paraffin-embedded brains. Brain Struct Funct 2017; 223:1001-1015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00429-017-1595-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Accepted: 12/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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15
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Kubíková T, Kochová P, Tomášek P, Witter K, Tonar Z. Numerical and length densities of microvessels in the human brain: Correlation with preferential orientation of microvessels in the cerebral cortex, subcortical grey matter and white matter, pons and cerebellum. J Chem Neuroanat 2017; 88:22-32. [PMID: 29113946 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2017.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2017] [Revised: 11/03/2017] [Accepted: 11/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
To provide basic data on the local differences in density of microvessels between various parts of the human brain, including representative grey and white matter structures of the cerebral hemispheres, the brain stem and the cerebellum, we quantified the numerical density NV and the length density LV of microvessels in two human brains. We aimed to correlate the density of microvessels with previously published data on their preferential orientation (anisotropy). Microvessels were identified using immunohistochemistry for laminin in 32 samples harvested from the following brain regions of two adult individuals: the cortex of the telencephalon supplied by the anterior, middle, and posterior cerebral artery; the basal ganglia (putamen and globus pallidus); the thalamus; the subcortical white matter of the telencephalon; the internal capsule; the pons; the cerebellar cortex; and the cerebellar white matter. NV was calculated from the number of vascular branching points and their valence, which were assessed using the optical disector in 20-μm-thick sections. LV was estimated using counting frames applied to routine sections with randomized cutting planes. After correction for shrinkage, NV in the cerebral cortex was 1311±326mm-3 (mean±SD) and LV was 255±119mm-2. Similarly, in subcortical grey matter (which included the basal ganglia and thalamus), NV was 1350±445mm-3 and LV was 328±117mm-2. The vascular networks of cortical and subcortical grey matter were comparable. Their densities were greater than in the white matter, with NV=222±147mm-3 and LV=160±96mm-2. NV was moderately correlated with LV. In parts of brain with greater NV, blood vessels lacked a preferential orientation. Our data were in agreement with other studies on microvessel density focused on specific brain regions, but showed a greater variability, thus mapping the basic differences among various parts of brain. To facilitate the planning of other studies on brain vascularity and to support the development of computational models of human brain circulation based on real microvascular morphology; stereological data in form of continuous variables are made available as supplements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tereza Kubíková
- NTIS, European Centre of Excellence, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of West Bohemia, Univerzitni 8, 306 14 Pilsen, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Kochová
- NTIS, European Centre of Excellence, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of West Bohemia, Univerzitni 8, 306 14 Pilsen, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Tomášek
- NTIS, European Centre of Excellence, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of West Bohemia, Univerzitni 8, 306 14 Pilsen, Czech Republic; Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Karlovarska 48, 301 66 Pilsen, Czech Republic; Department of Forensic Medicine, Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Budinova 2, 180 81 Prague 8, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Kirsti Witter
- Institute of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, A-1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Zbyněk Tonar
- NTIS, European Centre of Excellence, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of West Bohemia, Univerzitni 8, 306 14 Pilsen, Czech Republic.
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16
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Zhang Y, Chao FL, Zhou CN, Jiang L, Zhang L, Chen LM, Luo YM, Xiao Q, Tang Y. Effects of exercise on capillaries in the white matter of transgenic AD mice. Oncotarget 2017; 8:65860-65875. [PMID: 29029478 PMCID: PMC5630378 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.19505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2017] [Accepted: 06/30/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that exercise can prevent white matter atrophy in APP/PS1 transgenic Alzheimer’s disease (AD) mice. However, the mechanism of this protective effect remains unknown. To further understand this issue, we investigated the effects of exercise on the blood supply of white matter in transgenic AD mice. Six-month-old male APP/PS1 mice were randomly divided into a control group and a running group, and age-matched non-transgenic littermates were used as a wild-type control group. Mice in the running group ran on a treadmill at low intensity for four months. Then, spatial learning and memory abilities, white matter and white matter capillaries were examined in all mice. The 10-month-old AD mice exhibited deficits in cognitive function, and 4 months of exercise improved these deficits. The white matter volume and the total length, total volume and total surface area of the white matter capillaries were decreased in the 10-month-old AD mice, and 4 months of exercise dramatically delayed the changes in these parameters in the AD mice. Our results demonstrate that even low-intensity running exercise can improve spatial learning and memory abilities, delay white matter atrophy and protect white matter capillaries in early-stage AD mice. Protecting capillaries might be an important structural basis for the exercise-induced protection of the structural integrity of white matter in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Key Laboratory of Diagnostic Medicine, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China.,Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China.,Laboratory of Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
| | - Feng-Lei Chao
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China.,Laboratory of Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
| | - Chun-Ni Zhou
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Key Laboratory of Diagnostic Medicine, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China.,Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China.,Laboratory of Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
| | - Lin Jiang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Key Laboratory of Diagnostic Medicine, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China.,Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China.,Laboratory of Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China.,Laboratory of Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
| | - Lin-Mu Chen
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China.,Laboratory of Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
| | - Yan-Min Luo
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Key Laboratory of Diagnostic Medicine, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China.,Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China.,Laboratory of Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
| | - Qian Xiao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Key Laboratory of Diagnostic Medicine, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China.,Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China.,Laboratory of Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
| | - Yong Tang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China.,Laboratory of Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
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17
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The impact of early aerobic exercise on brain microvascular alterations induced by cerebral hypoperfusion. Brain Res 2016; 1657:43-51. [PMID: 27923636 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2016.11.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2016] [Revised: 11/25/2016] [Accepted: 11/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The therapeutic potential of early exercise training following cerebral hypoperfusion was investigated on brain perfusion and inflammation in rats with permanent bilateral occlusion of the common carotid arteries (2VO). Wistar rats were subjected to 2VO or sham surgery and each group was then subdivided randomly into sedentary or exercise groups. Early exercise training was initiated after three days of 2VO or sham surgery and consisted of seven days of treadmill training (30min/day at ∼60% of maximal exercise test), composing four groups: 1) Sham sedentary (Sham-Sed), 2) Sham exercised (Sham-Ex), 3) 2VO sedentary (2VO-Sed) and 4) 2VO exercised (2VO-Ex). Microvascular cerebral blood flow (MCBF) and NADPH oxidase and eNOS gene expression were evaluated by laser speckle contrast imaging and RT-PCR, respectively, and brain functional capillary density and endothelial-leukocyte interactions were evaluated by fluorescence intravital video-microscopy. The 2VO-Sed group presented a decrease in MCBF (Sham-Sed: 230.9±12.2 vs. 2VO-Sed: 183.6±10.6 arbitrary perfusion units, P<0.05) and in functional capillary density (Sham-Sed: 336.4±25.3 vs. 2VO-Sed: 225.5±28.1capillaries/mm2, P<0.05). Early intervention with physical exercise was able to prevent the cerebral microvascular inflammation by decreasing endothelial-leukocyte interactions (2VO-Ex: 0.9±0.3 vs. 2VO-Sed: 5±0.6cells/min/100μm, P<0.0001) and reducing brain NADPH oxidase gene expression (2VO-Ex: 1.7±0.1 arbitrary units, P<0.05). Cerebral microcirculatory and inflammatory alterations appear to be triggered during the first days after 2VO surgery, and early intervention with physical exercise may represent a means of preventing the microvascular alterations induced by chronic cerebral hypoperfusion.
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18
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Ielacqua GD, Schlegel F, Füchtemeier M, Xandry J, Rudin M, Klohs J. Magnetic Resonance Q Mapping Reveals a Decrease in Microvessel Density in the arcAβ Mouse Model of Cerebral Amyloidosis. Front Aging Neurosci 2016; 7:241. [PMID: 26834622 PMCID: PMC4717293 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2015.00241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2015] [Accepted: 12/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Alterations in density and morphology of the cerebral microvasculature have been reported to occur in Alzheimer's disease patients and animal models of the disease. In this study we compared magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques for their utility to detect age-dependent changes of the cerebral vasculature in the arcAβ mouse model of cerebral amyloidosis. Dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC)-MRI was performed by tracking the passage of a superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle in the brain with dynamic gradient echo planar imaging (EPI). From this measurements relative cerebral blood volume [rCBV(DSC)] and relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF) were estimated. For the same animal maps of the relaxation shift index Q were computed from high resolution gradient echo and spin echo data that were acquired before and after superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticle injection. Q-values were used to derive estimates of microvessel density. The change in the relaxation rates ΔR2* obtained from pre- and post-contrast gradient echo data was used for the alternative determination of rCBV [rCBV(ΔR2*)]. Linear mixed effects modeling found no significant association between rCBV(DSC), rCBV(ΔR2*), rCBF, and Q with genotype in 13-month old mice [compared to age-matched non-transgenic littermates (NTLs)] for any of the evaluated brain regions. In 24-month old mice there was a significant association for rCBV(DSC) with genotype in the cerebral cortex, and for rCBV(ΔR2*) in the cerebral cortex and cerebellum. For rCBF there was a significant association in the cerebellum but not in other brain regions. Q-values in the olfactory bulb, cerebral cortex, striatum, hippocampus, and cerebellum in 24-month old mice were significantly associated with genotype. In those regions Q-values were reduced between 11 and 26% in arcAβ mice compared to age-matched NTLs. Vessel staining with CD31 immunohistochemistry confirmed a reduction of microvessel density in the old arcAβ mice. We further demonstrated a region-specific association between parenchymal and vascular deposition of β-amyloid and decreased vascular density, without a correlation with the amount of Aβ deposition. We found that Q mapping was more suitable than the hemodynamic read-outs to detect amyloid-related degeneration of the cerebral microvasculature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna D Ielacqua
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH and University of Zurich Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Felix Schlegel
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH and University of ZurichZurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH ZurichZurich, Switzerland
| | - Martina Füchtemeier
- German Center for Neurodegenerative DiseasesBerlin, Germany; Department of Experimental Neurology, Charité - University Medicine BerlinBerlin, Germany
| | - Jael Xandry
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH and University of Zurich Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Markus Rudin
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH and University of ZurichZurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH ZurichZurich, Switzerland; Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of ZurichZurich, Switzerland
| | - Jan Klohs
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH and University of ZurichZurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH ZurichZurich, Switzerland
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19
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Kolinko Y, Krakorova K, Cendelin J, Tonar Z, Kralickova M. Microcirculation of the brain: morphological assessment in degenerative diseases and restoration processes. Rev Neurosci 2015; 26:75-93. [PMID: 25337818 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2014-0049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2014] [Accepted: 09/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Brain microcirculation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of various brain diseases. Several specific features of the circulation in the brain and its functions deserve special attention. The brain is extremely sensitive to hypoxia, and brain edema is more dangerous than edema in other tissues. Brain vessels are part of the blood-brain barrier, which prevents the penetration of some of the substances in the blood into the brain tissue. Herein, we review the processes of angiogenesis and the changes that occur in the brain microcirculation in the most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases. There are no uniform vascular changes in the neurodegenerative diseases. In some cases, the vascular changes are secondary consequences of the pathological process, but they could also be involved in the pathogenesis of the primary disease and contribute to the degeneration of neurons, based on their quantitative characteristics. Additionally, we described the stereological methods that are most commonly used for generating qualitative and quantitative data to assess changes in the microvascular bed of the brain.
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20
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Nikolajsen GN, Jensen MS, West MJ. A zinc fixative for 3D visualization of cerebral capillaries and pericytes. J Neurosci Methods 2015; 257:1-6. [PMID: 26424506 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2015.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2015] [Revised: 08/07/2015] [Accepted: 09/19/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A large volume of data indicates that disturbances in the morphology and function of the capillary wall may play a causal role in several types of neurodegenerative disorders. We present a highly reproducible staining method for investigating the cerebral capillary network and the pericyte cells within the basement membrane in mice - a specie specific challenging task when uniform staining in thick sections was needed for confocal microscopy or a quantitative analysis, e.g. stereological investigation using 3D probes. NEW METHOD We perfused C57BL6/Jbom mice and immersion fixated the brains with an aldehyde free zinc fixative, which is normally used for paraffin embedded tissues, and stained for CD31 and Collagen Type IV positive capillaries in 100μm thick sections. RESULTS Using the milder zinc fixative allowed complete immunohistochemical visualization of the cerebral capillary network in 100μm thick sections using CD31 or Collagen Type IV antibodies. Moreover CD31 or Collagen Type IV staining revealed the presence of pericytes, which was confirmed by a fluorescent co-localization with the NG2 pericyte marker. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS Compared with conventional aldehyde-based fixative, this method resulted in a homogeneous staining through the entire depth of thick sections with very limited background staining and well-preserved morphology. CONCLUSIONS This method is suitable for 3D stereological analysis of capillary networks and pericytes within thick brain sections using CD31 or Collagen Type IV antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gitte Nykjær Nikolajsen
- Department of Biomedicine, Building 1234, Aarhus University, Wilhelm Meyers Allé 3, Aarhus C, 8000, Denmark.
| | - Morten Skovgaard Jensen
- Department of Biomedicine, Building 1234, Aarhus University, Wilhelm Meyers Allé 3, Aarhus C, 8000, Denmark.
| | - Mark J West
- Department of Biomedicine, Building 1234, Aarhus University, Wilhelm Meyers Allé 3, Aarhus C, 8000, Denmark.
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21
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Endothelial Dysfunction and Amyloid-β-Induced Neurovascular Alterations. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2015; 36:155-65. [PMID: 26328781 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-015-0256-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2015] [Accepted: 08/20/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) and cerebrovascular diseases share common vascular risk factors that have disastrous effects on cerebrovascular regulation. Endothelial cells, lining inner walls of cerebral blood vessels, form a dynamic interface between the blood and the brain and are critical for the maintenance of neurovascular homeostasis. Accordingly, injury in endothelial cells is regarded as one of the earliest symptoms of impaired vasoregulatory mechanisms. Extracellular buildup of amyloid-β (Aβ) is a central pathogenic factor in AD. Aβ exerts potent detrimental effects on cerebral blood vessels and impairs endothelial structure and function. Recent evidence implicates vascular oxidative stress and activation of the non-selective cationic channel transient receptor potential melastatin (TRPM)-2 on endothelial cells in the mechanisms of Aβ-induced neurovascular dysfunction. Thus, Aβ triggers opening of TRPM2 channels in endothelial cells leading to intracellular Ca(2+) overload and vasomotor dysfunction. The cerebrovascular dysfunction may contribute to AD pathogenesis by reducing the cerebral blood supply, leading to increased susceptibility to vascular insufficiency, and by promoting Aβ accumulation. The recent realization that vascular factors contribute to AD pathobiology suggests new targets for the prevention and treatment of this devastating disease.
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Nikolajsen GN, Kotynski KA, Jensen MS, West MJ. Quantitative analysis of the capillary network of aged APPswe/PS1dE9 transgenic mice. Neurobiol Aging 2015; 36:2954-2962. [PMID: 26364735 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2015.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2015] [Revised: 08/04/2015] [Accepted: 08/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
A combination of immunohistochemical and stereological techniques were used to investigate the capillary network in the cerebral cortex of 18-month-old APPswe/PS1dE9 transgenic (Tg) mice and control littermates. Data regarding total capillary length, segment number, diffusion radius, and pericyte number are presented. The total length was 60 meters and there was a one-to-one relationship between the number of capillary segments and pericytes in both groups. Significant differences were not observed in the Tg and wild-type controls indicating that the Alzheimer's-like amyloidosis produced in this Tg mouse has a minimal affect on the structural integrity of the cerebral capillary network.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Mark J West
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
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Glio-vascular changes during ageing in wild-type and Alzheimer's disease-like APP/PS1 mice. Brain Res 2015; 1620:153-68. [PMID: 25966615 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2015.04.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2014] [Revised: 03/30/2015] [Accepted: 04/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Vascular and glial involvement in the development of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), and age-related brain vulnerabilities have been suggested. Therefore, we sought to: (i) investigate which vascular and glial events are evident in ageing and/or AD, (ii) to establish the temporal evolution of vascular and glial changes in AD-like and wild-type (WT) mice and (iii) to relate them to amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide accumulation. We examined immunohistochemically hippocampi and cortex from APP/PS1dE9 and WT C57BL/6 mice along ageing and disease progression (young-adulthood, middle- and old-age). Ageing resulted in the increase in receptor for advanced glycation endproducts expression, as well as the entrance of thrombin and albumin in hippocampal parenchyma. In contrast, the loss of platelet-derived growth factor receptor-β (PDGFR-β) positive cells, in both regions, was only related to AD pathogenesis. Hypovascularization was affected by both ageing and AD in the hippocampus, but resulted from the interaction between both factors in the cortex. Astrogliosis was a result of AD in hippocampus and of both factors in cortex, while microgliosis was associated with fibrillar amyloid plaques in AD-like mice and with the interaction between both factors in each of the studied regions. In sum, these data show that senile plaques precede vascular and glial alterations only in hippocampus, whereas in cortex, vascular and glial alterations, namely the loss of PDGFR-β-positive cells and astrogliosis, accompanied the first senile plaques. Hence, this study points to vascular and glial events that co-exist in AD pathogenesis and age-related brain vulnerabilities.
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Alata W, Ye Y, St-Amour I, Vandal M, Calon F. Human apolipoprotein E ɛ4 expression impairs cerebral vascularization and blood-brain barrier function in mice. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2015; 35:86-94. [PMID: 25335802 PMCID: PMC4296574 DOI: 10.1038/jcbfm.2014.172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2014] [Revised: 09/12/2014] [Accepted: 09/15/2014] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Human apolipoprotein E (APOE) exists in three isoforms ɛ2, ɛ3, and ɛ4, of which APOE4 is the main genetic risk factor of Alzheimer's disease (AD). As cerebrovascular defects are associated with AD, we tested whether APOE genotype has an impact on the integrity and function of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in human APOE-targeted replacement mice. Using the quantitative in situ brain perfusion technique, we first found lower (13.0% and 17.0%) brain transport coefficient (Clup) of [(3)H]-diazepam in APOE4 mice at 4 and 12 months, compared with APOE2 and APOE3 mice, reflecting a decrease in cerebral vascularization. Accordingly, results from immunohistofluorescence experiments revealed a structurally reduced cerebral vascularization (26% and 38%) and thinner basement membranes (30% and 35%) in 12-month-old APOE4 mice compared with APOE2 and APOE3 mice, suggesting vascular atrophy. In addition, APOE4 mice displayed a 29% reduction in [(3)H]-d-glucose transport through the BBB compared with APOE2 mice without significant changes in the expression of its transporter GLUT1 in brain capillaries. However, an increase of 41.3% of receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) was found in brain capillaries of 12-month-old APOE4 mice. In conclusion, profound divergences were observed between APOE genotypes at the cerebrovascular interface, suggesting that APOE4-induced BBB anomalies may contribute to AD development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wael Alata
- 1] Faculty of Pharmacy, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada [2] Neurosciences Axis, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Yue Ye
- 1] Faculty of Pharmacy, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada [2] Neurosciences Axis, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Isabelle St-Amour
- Neurosciences Axis, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Milène Vandal
- 1] Faculty of Pharmacy, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada [2] Neurosciences Axis, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Frédéric Calon
- 1] Faculty of Pharmacy, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada [2] Neurosciences Axis, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Québec, QC, Canada
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25
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Do TM, Alata W, Dodacki A, Traversy MT, Chacun H, Pradier L, Scherrmann JM, Farinotti R, Calon F, Bourasset F. Altered cerebral vascular volumes and solute transport at the blood-brain barriers of two transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. Neuropharmacology 2014; 81:311-7. [PMID: 24631967 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2014.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2013] [Revised: 02/11/2014] [Accepted: 02/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
We evaluated the integrity and function of the blood-brain barrier in 3xTg-AD mice aged 3-18 months and in APP/PS1 mice aged 8-months to determine the impacts of changes in amyloid and tau proteins on the brain vascular changes. The vascular volume (Vvasc) was sub-normal in 3xTg-AD mice aged from 6 to 18 months, but not in the APP/PS1 mice. The uptakes of [(3)H]-diazepam by the brains of 3xTg-AD, APP/PS1 and their age-matched control mice were similar at all the times studied, suggesting that the simple diffusion of small solutes is unchanged in transgenic animals. The uptake of d-glucose by the brains of 18-month old 3xTg-AD mice, but not by those of 8-month old APP/PS1 mice, was reduced compared to their age-matched controls. Accordingly, the amount of Glut-1 protein was 1.4 times lower in the brain capillaries of 18 month-old 3xTg-AD mice than in those of age-matched control mice. We conclude that the brain vascular volume is reduced early in 3xTg-AD mice, 6 months before the appearance of pathological lesions, and that this reduction persists until they are at least 18 months old. The absence of alterations in the BBB of APP/PS1 mice suggests that hyperphosphorylated tau proteins contribute to the vascular changes that occur in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuan Minh Do
- Laboratoire de Pharmacie Clinique et pharmacocinétique, EA 4123, Université Paris-Sud 11, Faculté de Pharmacie, Châtenay-Malabry, France
| | - Wael Alata
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Laval University, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Agnès Dodacki
- Inserm, U1144, Paris F-75006, France; Université Paris Descartes, UMR-S 1144, Paris F-75006, France; Université Paris Diderot, UMR-S 1144, Paris F-75013, France
| | | | - Hélène Chacun
- CNRS UMR 8612, Université Paris Sud, Faculté de Pharmacie, Châtenay-Malabry, France
| | - Laurent Pradier
- Sanofi-Aventis Therapeutic Strategy Unit Aging, Chilly-Mazarin, France
| | - Jean-Michel Scherrmann
- Inserm, U1144, Paris F-75006, France; Université Paris Descartes, UMR-S 1144, Paris F-75006, France; Université Paris Diderot, UMR-S 1144, Paris F-75013, France
| | - Robert Farinotti
- Laboratoire de Pharmacie Clinique et pharmacocinétique, EA 4123, Université Paris-Sud 11, Faculté de Pharmacie, Châtenay-Malabry, France
| | - Frédéric Calon
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Laval University, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Fanchon Bourasset
- Inserm, U1144, Paris F-75006, France; Université Paris Descartes, UMR-S 1144, Paris F-75006, France; Université Paris Diderot, UMR-S 1144, Paris F-75013, France.
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26
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Thomason LAM, Stefanovic B, McLaurin J. Cerebrovascular contributions to Alzheimer's disease pathophysiology and potential therapeutic interventions in mouse models. Eur J Neurosci 2013; 37:1994-2004. [PMID: 23773069 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2012] [Revised: 02/08/2013] [Accepted: 02/11/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The inter-relationship between vascular dysfunction and Alzheimer's disease pathology is not clearly understood; however, it is clear that the accumulation of amyloid-beta peptide and loss of vascular function contribute to the cognitive decline detected in patients. At present, imaging modalities can monitor the downstream effects of vascular dysfunction such as cerebral blood flow alterations, white and gray matter lacunes, and ischemic lesions; however, they cannot distinguish parenchymal plaques from cerebrovascular amyloid. Much of our understanding regarding the relationship between amyloid and vascular dysfunction has come from longitudinal population studies and mouse models. In this review, we will discuss the breadth of data generated on vascular function in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease and cerebrovascular amyloid angiopathy. We will also discuss therapeutic strategies targeting the reduction of cerebrovascular amyloid angiopathy and improvement of vascular function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynsie A M Thomason
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
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27
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Manaye KF, Mouton PR, Xu G, Drew A, Lei DL, Sharma Y, Rebeck GW, Turner S. Age-related loss of noradrenergic neurons in the brains of triple transgenic mice. AGE (DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS) 2013; 35:139-147. [PMID: 22127507 PMCID: PMC3543748 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-011-9343-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2011] [Accepted: 11/07/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Microscopic findings in Alzheimer's disease (AD) at autopsy include a wide cortical distribution of beta amyloid (Aβ)-containing plaques and diminished numbers of pyramidal neurons in CA1 of hippocampus and tyrosine hydroxylase-positive (TH+) neurons in the locus coeruleus (LC). To better understand the neuropathology underlying cognitive decline in AD, we analyzed the AD-type neuropathology in brains of triple transgenic (3×Tg) mice harboring mutations for APP(swe), PS1(M146V), and tau(P301L). Histochemical and immunohistochemical staining and computerized stereology were carried out in age-matched young, early middle age, and late middle age 3×Tg mice. The 3×Tg mice showed an intracellular Aβ deposition in subiculum and CA1 pyramidal neurons and an extracellular distribution of amyloid plaques specifically in the subiculum of hippocampal formation and in neocortical layer V. The 3×Tg mice also showed an age-related loss of TH+ neurons in LC, with a loss of 37% of these neurons at 15 months of age. There was no loss of CA1 neurons at any age examined. Reduced AD-type neuropathology in CA1 of 3×Tg mice suggests a possible neuroprotective role for high intracellular-to-extracellular ratios of insoluble Aβ deposits. Understanding the neurobiology of this apparent neuroprotection could lead to an improved understanding of age-related cognitive function in general, and the development of novel strategies for the therapeutic management of AD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kebreten F Manaye
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, College of Medicine, Howard University, 520 W St. NW, Washington, DC 20059, USA.
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28
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Lalonde R, Fukuchi KI, Strazielle C. Neurologic and motor dysfunctions in APP transgenic mice. Rev Neurosci 2012; 23:363-79. [PMID: 23089603 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2012-0041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2012] [Accepted: 05/02/2012] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The discovery of gene mutations underlying autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease has enabled researchers to reproduce several hallmarks of this disorder in transgenic mice, notably the formation of Aβ plaques in brain and cognitive deficits. APP transgenic mutants have also been investigated with respect to survival rates, neurologic functions, and motor coordination, which are all susceptible to alteration in Alzheimer dementia. Several transgenic lines expressing human mutated or wild-type APP had higher mortality rates than non-transgenic controls with or without the presence of Aβ plaques. Mortality rates were also elevated in APP transgenic mice with vascular amyloid accumulation, thereby implicating cerebrovascular factors in the precocious death observed in all APP transgenic models. In addition, myoclonic jumping has been described in APP mutants, together with seizure activity, abnormal limb-flexion and paw-clasping reflexes, and motor coordination deficits. The neurologic signs resemble the myoclonic movements, epileptic seizures, pathological reflexes, and gait problems observed in late-stage Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Lalonde
- Departement de Psychologie, Universite de Rouen, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France.
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29
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Rissman RA, Trojanowski JQ, Shaw LM, Aisen PS. Longitudinal plasma amyloid beta as a biomarker of Alzheimer's disease. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2012; 119:843-50. [PMID: 22354745 PMCID: PMC4305447 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-012-0772-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2011] [Accepted: 01/31/2012] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) affects more than twenty-five million people worldwide and is the most common form of dementia. Symptomatic treatments have been developed, but effective intervention to alter disease progression is needed. Targets have been identified for disease-modifying drugs, but the results of clinical trials have been disappointing. Peripheral biomarkers of disease state may improve clinical trial design and analysis, increasing the likelihood of successful drug development. Amyloid-related measures, presumably reflecting principal pathology of AD, are among the leading cerebrospinal fluid and neuroimaging biomarkers, and measurement of plasma levels of amyloid peptides has been the focus of much investigation. In this review, we discuss recent data on plasma β-amyloid (Aβ) and examine the issues that have arisen in establishing it as a reliable biomarker of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A Rissman
- Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study, Department of Neurosciences, UCSD School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92037-0624, USA.
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30
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Pimentel-Coelho PM, Rivest S. The early contribution of cerebrovascular factors to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. Eur J Neurosci 2012; 35:1917-37. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2012.08126.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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31
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Lalonde R, Fukuchi K, Strazielle C. APP transgenic mice for modelling behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2012; 36:1357-75. [PMID: 22373961 PMCID: PMC3340431 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2012.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2011] [Revised: 02/10/2012] [Accepted: 02/13/2012] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The discovery of gene mutations responsible for autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease has enabled researchers to reproduce in transgenic mice several hallmarks of this disorder, notably Aβ accumulation, though in most cases without neurofibrillary tangles. Mice expressing mutated and wild-type APP as well as C-terminal fragments of APP exhibit variations in exploratory activity reminiscent of behavioural and psychological symptoms of Alzheimer dementia (BPSD). In particular, open-field, spontaneous alternation, and elevated plus-maze tasks as well as aggression are modified in several APP transgenic mice relative to non-transgenic controls. However, depending on the precise murine models, changes in open-field and elevated plus-maze exploration occur in either direction, either increased or decreased relative to controls. It remains to be determined which neurotransmitter changes are responsible for this variability, in particular with respect to GABA, 5HT, and dopamine.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Lalonde
- Département de Psychologie, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Rouen, 76821 Mont-Saint-Aignan Cedex, France.
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32
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Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance microangiography reveals remodeling of the cerebral microvasculature in transgenic ArcAβ mice. J Neurosci 2012; 32:1705-13. [PMID: 22302811 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.5626-11.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition in the cerebral vasculature is accompanied by remodeling which has a profound influence on vascular integrity and function. In the current study we have quantitatively assessed the age-dependent changes of the cortical vasculature in the arcAβ model of cerebral amyloidosis. To estimate the density of the cortical microvasculature in vivo, we used contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance microangiography (CE-μMRA). Three-dimensional gradient echo datasets with 60 μm isotropic resolution were acquired in 4- and 24-month-old arcAβ mice and compared with wild-type (wt) control mice of the same age before and after administration of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. After segmentation of the cortical vasculature from difference images, an automated algorithm was applied for assessing the number and size distribution of intracortical vessels. With CE-μMRA, cerebral arteries and veins with a diameter of less than the nominal pixel resolution (60 μm) can be visualized. A significant age-dependent reduction in the number of functional intracortical microvessels (radii of 20-80 μm) has been observed in 24-month-old arcAβ mice compared with age-matched wt mice, whereas there was no difference between transgenic and wt mice of 4 months of age. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated strong fibrinogen and Aβ deposition in small- and medium-sized vessels, but not in large cerebral arteries, of 24-month-old arcAβ mice. The reduced density of transcortical vessels may thus be attributed to impaired perfusion and vascular occlusion caused by deposition of Aβ and fibrin. The study demonstrated that remodeling of the cerebrovasculature can be monitored noninvasively with CE-μMRA in mice.
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Manaye KF, Allard JS, Kalifa S, Drew AC, Xu G, Ingram DK, de Cabo R, Mouton PR. 17α-estradiol attenuates neuron loss in ovariectomized Dtg AβPP/PS1 mice. J Alzheimers Dis 2012; 23:629-39. [PMID: 21157032 DOI: 10.3233/jad-2010-100993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Quantitative microanalysis of brains from patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) find neuronal loss and neuroinflammation in structures that control cognitive function. Though historically difficult to recapitulate in experimental models, several groups have recently reported that by middle-age, transgenic mice that co-express high levels of two AD-associated mutations, amyloid-β protein precursor (AβPP(swe)) and presenilin 1 (PS1(ΔE9)), undergo significant AD-type neuron loss in sub-cortical nuclei with heavy catecholaminergic projections to the hippocampal formation. Here we report that by 13 months of age these dtg AβPP(swe)/PS1(ΔE9) mice also show significant loss of pyramidal neuron in a critical region for learning and memory, the CA1 subregion of hippocampus, as a direct function of amyloid-β (Aβ) aggregation. We used these mice to test whether 17α-estradiol (17αE2), a less feminizing and non-carcinogenic enantiomer of 17β-estradiol, protects against this CA1 neuron loss. Female dtg AβPP(swe)/PS1(ΔE9) mice were ovariectomized at 8-9 months of age and treated for 60 days with either 17αE2 or placebo via subcutaneous pellets. Computerized stereology revealed that 17αE2 ameliorated the loss of neurons in CA1 and reduced microglial activation in the hippocampus. These findings support the view that 17αE2, which may act through non-genomic mechanisms independent of traditional estrogen receptors, could prevent or delay the progression of AD in older men and women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kebreten F Manaye
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, College of Medicine, Howard University, Washington, DC 20059, USA.
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Brown WR, Thore CR. Review: cerebral microvascular pathology in ageing and neurodegeneration. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2011; 37:56-74. [PMID: 20946471 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2990.2010.01139.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 513] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
This review of age-related brain microvascular pathologies focuses on topics studied by this laboratory, including anatomy of the blood supply, tortuous vessels, venous collagenosis, capillary remnants, vascular density and microembolic brain injury. Our studies feature thick sections, large blocks embedded in celloidin, and vascular staining by alkaline phosphatase. This permits study of the vascular network in three dimensions, and the differentiation of afferent from efferent vessels. Current evidence suggests that there is decreased vascular density in ageing, Alzheimer's disease and leukoaraiosis, and cerebrovascular dysfunction precedes and accompanies cognitive dysfunction and neurodegeneration. A decline in cerebrovascular angiogenesis may inhibit recovery from hypoxia-induced capillary loss. Cerebral blood flow is inhibited by tortuous arterioles and deposition of excessive collagen in veins and venules. Misery perfusion due to capillary loss appears to occur before cell loss in leukoaraiosis, and cerebral blood flow is also reduced in the normal-appearing white matter. Hypoperfusion occurs early in Alzheimer's disease, inducing white matter lesions and correlating with dementia. In vascular dementia, cholinergic reductions are correlated with cognitive impairment, and cholinesterase inhibitors have some benefit. Most lipid microemboli from cardiac surgery pass through the brain in a few days, but some remain for weeks. They can cause what appears to be a type of vascular dementia years after surgery. Donepezil has shown some benefit. Emboli, such as clots, cholesterol crystals and microspheres can be extruded through the walls of cerebral vessels, but there is no evidence yet that lipid emboli undergo such extravasation.
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Affiliation(s)
- W R Brown
- Department of Radiology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.
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35
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Paris D, Ganey N, Banasiak M, Laporte V, Patel N, Mullan M, Murphy SF, Yee GT, Bachmeier C, Ganey C, Beaulieu-Abdelahad D, Mathura VS, Brem S, Mullan M. Impaired orthotopic glioma growth and vascularization in transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. J Neurosci 2010; 30:11251-8. [PMID: 20739545 PMCID: PMC2935547 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2586-10.2010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2010] [Revised: 06/23/2010] [Accepted: 06/30/2010] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia among the aging population and is characterized pathologically by the progressive intracerebral accumulation of beta-amyloid (Abeta) peptides and neurofibrillary tangles. The level of proangiogenic growth factors and inflammatory mediators with proangiogenic activity is known to be elevated in AD brains which has led to the supposition that the cerebrovasculature of AD patients is in a proangiogenic state. However, angiogenesis depends on the balance between proangiogenic and antiangiogenic factors and the brains of AD patients also show an accumulation of endostatin and Abeta peptides which have been shown to be antiangiogenic. To determine whether angiogenesis is compromised in the brains of two transgenic mouse models of AD overproducing Abeta peptides (Tg APPsw and Tg PS1/APPsw mice), we assessed the growth and vascularization of orthotopically implanted murine gliomas since they require a high degree of angiogenesis to sustain their growth. Our data reveal that intracranial tumor growth and angiogenesis is significantly reduced in Tg APPsw and Tg PS1/APPsw mice compared with their wild-type littermates. In addition, we show that Abeta inhibits the angiogenesis stimulated by glioma cells when cocultured with human brain microvascular cells on a Matrigel layer. Altogether our data suggest that the brain of transgenic mouse models of AD does not constitute a favorable environment to support neoangiogenesis and may explain why vascular insults synergistically precipitate the cognitive presentation of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Paris
- The Roskamp Institute, Sarasota, Florida 34243, USA.
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36
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von Gunten A, Ebbing K, Imhof A, Giannakopoulos P, Kövari E. Brain aging in the oldest-old. Curr Gerontol Geriatr Res 2010; 2010:358531. [PMID: 20706534 PMCID: PMC2913516 DOI: 10.1155/2010/358531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2010] [Accepted: 06/14/2010] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Nonagenarians and centenarians represent a quickly growing age group worldwide. In parallel, the prevalence of dementia increases substantially, but how to define dementia in this oldest-old age segment remains unclear. Although the idea that the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) decreases after age 90 has now been questioned, the oldest-old still represent a population relatively resistant to degenerative brain processes. Brain aging is characterised by the formation of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) and senile plaques (SPs) as well as neuronal and synaptic loss in both cognitively intact individuals and patients with AD. In nondemented cases NFTs are usually restricted to the hippocampal formation, whereas the progressive involvement of the association areas in the temporal neocortex parallels the development of overt clinical signs of dementia. In contrast, there is little correlation between the quantitative distribution of SP and AD severity. The pattern of lesion distribution and neuronal loss changes in extreme aging relative to the younger-old. In contrast to younger cases where dementia is mainly related to severe NFT formation within adjacent components of the medial and inferior aspects of the temporal cortex, oldest-old individuals display a preferential involvement of the anterior part of the CA1 field of the hippocampus whereas the inferior temporal and frontal association areas are relatively spared. This pattern suggests that both the extent of NFT development in the hippocampus as well as a displacement of subregional NFT distribution within the Cornu ammonis (CA) fields may be key determinants of dementia in the very old. Cortical association areas are relatively preserved. The progression of NFT formation across increasing cognitive impairment was significantly slower in nonagenarians and centenarians compared to younger cases in the CA1 field and entorhinal cortex. The total amount of amyloid and the neuronal loss in these regions were also significantly lower than those reported in younger AD cases. Overall, there is evidence that pathological substrates of cognitive deterioration in the oldest-old are different from those observed in the younger-old. Microvascular parameters such as mean capillary diameters may be key factors to consider for the prediction of cognitive decline in the oldest-old. Neuropathological particularities of the oldest-old may be related to "longevity-enabling" genes although little or nothing is known in this promising field of future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. von Gunten
- Service Universitaire de Psychiatrie de l'Age Avancé (SUPAA), Department of Psychiatry of CHUV, University of Lausanne, Route du Mont, 1008 Prilly, Switzerland
| | - K. Ebbing
- Service Universitaire de Psychiatrie de l'Age Avancé (SUPAA), Department of Psychiatry of CHUV, University of Lausanne, Route du Mont, 1008 Prilly, Switzerland
| | - A. Imhof
- Department of Psychiatry, HUG, Belle-Idée, University of Geneva School of Medicine, 1225 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - P. Giannakopoulos
- Service Universitaire de Psychiatrie de l'Age Avancé (SUPAA), Department of Psychiatry of CHUV, University of Lausanne, Route du Mont, 1008 Prilly, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, HUG, Belle-Idée, University of Geneva School of Medicine, 1225 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - E. Kövari
- Unité de Psychopathologie Morphologique, Department of Psychiatry of HUG, 1225 Genève, Switzerland
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Shao WH, Li C, Chen L, Qiu X, Zhang W, Huang CX, Xia L, Kong JM, Tang Y. Stereological Investigation of Age-Related Changes of the Capillaries in White Matter. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2010; 293:1400-7. [DOI: 10.1002/ar.21184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Spuch C, Antequera D, Portero A, Orive G, Hernández RM, Molina JA, Bermejo-Pareja F, Pedraz JL, Carro E. The effect of encapsulated VEGF-secreting cells on brain amyloid load and behavioral impairment in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Biomaterials 2010; 31:5608-18. [PMID: 20430437 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2010.03.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2010] [Accepted: 03/17/2010] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Cerebrovascular dysfunction contributes to cognitive decline and neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), an angiogenic protein with important neurotrophic and neuroprotective actions, is under investigation as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders. The aim of this study was to generate encapsulated VEGF-secreting cells and implant them in a transgenic mouse model of AD, the double mutant amyloid precursor protein/presenilin 1 (APP/Ps1) mice, which shows a disturbed vessel homeostasis. We report that, after implantation of VEGF microcapsules, brain Abeta burden, hyperphosphorylated-tau and cognitive impairment attenuated in APP/Ps1 mice. Based on the neurovascular hypothesis, our findings suggest a new potential therapeutic approach that could be developed for AD, to enhance Abeta clearance and neurovascular repair, and to protect the cognitive behavior. Stereologically-implanted encapsulated VEGF-secreting cells could offer an alternative strategy in the treatment of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Spuch
- Neuroscience Laboratory, Research Center, Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
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Karampinos DC, King KF, Sutton BP, Georgiadis JG. Intravoxel partially coherent motion technique: Characterization of the anisotropy of skeletal muscle microvasculature. J Magn Reson Imaging 2010; 31:942-53. [DOI: 10.1002/jmri.22100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
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Abeta immunotherapy protects morphology and survival of adult-born neurons in doubly transgenic APP/PS1 mice. J Neurosci 2009; 29:14108-19. [PMID: 19906959 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2055-09.2009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The hippocampus is heavily affected by progressive neurodegeneration and beta-amyloid pathology in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The hippocampus is also one of the few brain regions that generate new neurons throughout adulthood. Because hippocampal neurogenesis is regulated by both endogenous and environmental factors, we determined whether it benefits from therapeutic reduction of beta-amyloid peptide (Abeta)-related toxicity induced by passive Abeta immunotherapy. Abeta immunotherapy of 8-9-month-old mice expressing familial AD-causing mutations in the amyloid precursor protein and presenilin-1 genes with an antibody against Abeta decreased compact beta-amyloid plaque burden and promoted survival of newly born neurons in the hippocampal dentate gyrus. As these neurons matured, they exhibited longer dendrites with more complex arborization compared with newly born neurons in control-treated transgenic littermates. The newly born neurons showed signs of functional integration indicated by expression of the immediate-early gene Zif268 in response to exposure to a novel object. Abeta immunotherapy was associated with higher numbers of synaptophysin-positive synaptic boutons. Labeling dividing progenitor cells with a retroviral vector encoding green fluorescent protein (GFP) showed that Abeta immunotherapy restored the impaired dendritic branching, as well as the density of dendritic spines in new mature neurons. The presence of cellular prion protein (PrP(c)) on the dendrites of the GFP(+) newly born neurons is compatible with a putative role of PrP(c) in mediating Abeta-related toxicity in these cells. In addition, passive Abeta immunotherapy was accompanied by increased angiogenesis. Our data establish that passive Abeta immunotherapy can restore the morphological maturation of the newly formed neurons in the adult hippocampus and promote angiogenesis. These findings provide evidence for a role of Abeta immunotherapy in stimulating neurogenesis and angiogenesis in transgenic mouse models of AD, and they suggest the possibility that Abeta immunotherapy can recover neuronal and vascular functions in brains with beta-amyloidosis.
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Bourasset F, Ouellet M, Tremblay C, Julien C, Do TM, Oddo S, LaFerla F, Calon F. Reduction of the cerebrovascular volume in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Neuropharmacology 2009; 56:808-13. [PMID: 19705573 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2009.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Combined evidence from neuroimaging and neuropathological studies shows that signs of vascular pathology and brain hypoperfusion develop early in Alzheimer's disease (AD). To investigate the functional implication of these abnormalities, we have studied the cerebrovascular volume and selected markers of blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity in 11-month-old 3 x Tg-AD mice, using the in situ brain perfusion technique. The cerebrovascular volume of distribution of two vascular space markers, [3H]-inulin and [14C]-sucrose, was significantly lower (-26% and -27%, respectively; p < 0.01) in the brain of 3 x Tg-AD mice compared to non-transgenic littermates. The vascular volume reduction was significant in the hippocampus (p < 0.01), but not in the frontal cortex and cerebellum. However, the brain transport coefficient (Clup) of [14C]-D-glucose (1 microM) and [3H]-diazepam was similar between 3xTg-AD mice and controls, suggesting no difference in the functional integrity of the BBB. We also report a 32% increase (p < 0.001) in the thickness of basement membranes surrounding cortical microvessels along with a 20% increase (p < 0.05) of brain collagen content in 3xTg-AD mice compared to controls. The present data indicate that the cerebrovascular space is reduced in a mouse model of Abeta and tau accumulation, an observation consistent with the presence of cerebrovascular pathology in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanchon Bourasset
- Paris-Sud 11 University, EA2706, Faculty of Pharmacy, Châtenay-Malabry, France
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Hooijmans CR, Van der Zee CEEM, Dederen PJ, Brouwer KM, Reijmer YD, van Groen T, Broersen LM, Lütjohann D, Heerschap A, Kiliaan AJ. DHA and cholesterol containing diets influence Alzheimer-like pathology, cognition and cerebral vasculature in APPswe/PS1dE9 mice. Neurobiol Dis 2008; 33:482-98. [PMID: 19130883 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2008.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2008] [Revised: 11/28/2008] [Accepted: 12/04/2008] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cholesterol and docosahexenoic acid (DHA) may affect degenerative processes in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) by influencing Abeta metabolism indirectly via the vasculature. We investigated whether DHA-enriched diets or cholesterol-containing Typical Western Diets (TWD) alter behavior and cognition, cerebral hemodynamics (relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV)) and Abeta deposition in 8- and 15-month-old APP(swe)/PS1(dE9) mice. In addition we investigated whether changes in rCBV precede changes in Abeta deposition or vice versa. Mice were fed regular rodent chow, a TWD-, or a DHA-containing diet. Behavior, learning and memory were investigated, and rCBV was measured using contrast-enhanced MRI. The Abeta load was visualized immunohistochemically. We demonstrate that DHA altered rCBV in 8-month-old APP/PS1 and wild type mice[AU1]. In 15-month-old APP/PS1 mice DHA supplementation improved spatial memory, decreased Abeta deposition and slightly increased rCBV, indicating that a DHA-enriched diet can diminish AD-like pathology. In contrast, TWD diets decreased rCBV in 15-month-old mice. The present data indicate that long-term dietary interventions change AD-like pathology in APP/PS1 mice. Additionally, effects of the tested diets on vascular parameters were observed before effects on Abeta load were noted. These data underline the importance of vascular factors in the APP/PS1 mouse model of AD pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- C R Hooijmans
- Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, (department: Anatomy and Cognitive Neuroscience) Geert Grooteplein noord 21, PO BOX 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Jianbin T, Liang H, Jufang H, Hui W, Dan C, Leping Z, Jin Z, Xuegang L. Improved method of ink-gelatin perfusion for visualising rat retinal microvessels. Acta Histochem Cytochem 2008; 41:127-33. [PMID: 18989466 PMCID: PMC2576503 DOI: 10.1267/ahc.08015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2008] [Accepted: 07/17/2008] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
To visualize completely rat retinal microvessels, the gelatin-ink perfusion condition was systematically optimized using von Willebrand factor (vWf) immunostaining as control. Whether the vessel showed by the new perfusion condition can be used for double label with neurons or glial cells in the same retina was also tested. Our results showed that infusing rats first with 20 ml of 37°C ink plus 3% gelatin at 140% rat mean arterial pressure (MAP), and subsequently with 20 ml of 37°C ink plus 5% gelatin at 180% rat MAP allowed the ink to completely fill the rat retinal microvessels. Rat retinal microvessels labeled by the perfusion method were more in number than that by vWf immunostaining. Moreover, our data, for the first time, displayed that the improved gelatin-ink perfusion had no effect on and caused no contamination to the following fluorogold labeling or immunostaining of retinal neurons or glial cells in the same tissue. These data suggest that the improved gelatin-ink perfusion technique is a superior method for morphological characterization of rat retinal microvessels, compatible to the double labeling of glial cells and neurons, and it extends the practical scale of the classic method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Jianbin
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University
| | - Huang Liang
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University
| | - Huang Jufang
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University
| | - Wang Hui
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University
| | - Chen Dan
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University
| | - Zeng Leping
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University
| | - Zhou Jin
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University
| | - Luo Xuegang
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University
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B-vitamin deficiency causes hyperhomocysteinemia and vascular cognitive impairment in mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2008; 105:12474-9. [PMID: 18711131 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0805350105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In older adults, mildly elevated plasma total homocysteine (hyperhomocysteinemia) is associated with increased risk of cognitive impairment, cerebrovascular disease, and Alzheimer's disease, but it is uncertain whether this is due to underlying metabolic, neurotoxic, or vascular processes. We report here that feeding male C57BL6/J mice a B-vitamin-deficient diet for 10 weeks induced hyperhomocysteinemia, significantly impaired spatial learning and memory, and caused a significant rarefaction of hippocampal microvasculature without concomitant gliosis and neurodegeneration. Total hippocampal capillary length was inversely correlated with Morris water maze escape latencies (r = -0.757, P < 0.001), and with plasma total homocysteine (r = -0.631, P = 0.007). Feeding mice a methionine-rich diet produced similar but less pronounced effects. Our findings suggest that cerebral microvascular rarefaction can cause cognitive dysfunction in the absence of or preceding neurodegeneration. Similar microvascular changes may mediate the association of hyperhomocysteinemia with human age-related cognitive decline.
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Thal DR, Capetillo-Zarate E, Larionov S, Staufenbiel M, Zurbruegg S, Beckmann N. Capillary cerebral amyloid angiopathy is associated with vessel occlusion and cerebral blood flow disturbances. Neurobiol Aging 2008; 30:1936-48. [PMID: 18359131 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2008.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2007] [Revised: 01/04/2008] [Accepted: 01/30/2008] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The role of cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is not fully understood. Here, we studied whether CAA is associated with alterations in microvascularisation in transgenic mouse models and in the human brain. APP23 mice at 25-26 months of age exhibited severe CAA in thalamic vessels whereas APP51/16 mice did not. Wild-type littermates were free of CAA. We found CAA-related capillary occlusion within the thalamus of APP23 mice but not in APP51/16 and wild-type mice. Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) showed blood flow alterations in the thalamic vessels of APP23 mice. CAA-related capillary occlusion in the branches of the thalamoperforating arteries of APP23 mice, thereby, corresponded to the occurrence of blood flow disturbances. Similarly, CAA-related capillary occlusion was observed in the human occipital cortex of AD cases but less frequently in controls. These results indicate that capillary CAA can result in capillary occlusion and is associated with cerebral blood flow disturbances providing an additional mechanism for toxic effects of the amyloid beta-protein in AD.
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Manaye KF, Wang PC, O'Neil JN, Huang SY, Xu T, Lei DL, Tizabi Y, Ottinger MA, Ingram DK, Mouton PR. Neuropathological quantification of dtg APP/PS1: neuroimaging, stereology, and biochemistry. AGE (DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS) 2007; 29:87-96. [PMID: 19424834 PMCID: PMC2267662 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-007-9035-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2007] [Accepted: 05/25/2007] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Murine models that mimic the neuropathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) have the potential to provide insight into the pathogenesis of the disease and lead to new strategies for the therapeutic management of afflicted patients. We used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), design-based stereology, and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to assess the age-related neuropathology in double transgenic mice that overexpress two AD-related proteins--amyloid precursor protein (APP) and presenilin 1 (PS1)--and age- and gender-matched wild-type (WT) controls. In mice ranging in age from 4-28 months, total volumes of the hippocampal formation (V (HF)) and whole brain (V (brain)) were quantified by the Cavalieri-point counting method on a systematic-random sample of coronal T2-weighted MRI images; the same stereological methods were used to quantify V (HF) and V (brain) after perfusion and histological processing. To assess changes in AD-type beta-amyloid (A beta) plaques, sections from the hippocampal formation and amylgdaloid complex of mice aged 5, 12, and 15 months were stained by Congo Red histochemistry. In aged mice with large numbers of amyloid plaques, systematic-random samples of sections were stained by GFAP immunocytochemistry to assess gender and genotype effects on total numbers of astrocytes. In addition, levels of norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT) and 5-HT metabolites were assayed by HPLC in fresh-frozen samples from neocortex, striatum, hippocampus, and brainstem. We confirmed age-related increases in amyloid plaques, beginning with a few plaques at 5 months of age and increasing densities by 12 and 15 months. At 15 months of age, there were robust genotype effects, but no gender effects, on GFAP-immunopositive astrocytes in the amygdaloid complex and hippocampus. There were no effects on monoamine levels in all brain regions examined, and no volume changes in hippocampal formation or whole brain as quantified on either neuroimages or tissue sections. Strong correlations were present between volume estimates from MRI images and histological sections, with about 85% reduction in mean V (HF) or mean V (brain) between MRI and processed histological sections. In summary, these findings show that the double transgenic expression of AD-type mutations is associated with age-related increases in amyloid plaques and astrocytosis; however, this model does not recapitulate the cortical atrophy or neurochemical changes that are characteristic of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kebreten F Manaye
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Howard University College of Medicine, 520 W. Street, NW, Suite 2305, Adams Bldg., Washington, DC 20059, USA.
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Panagiotakos G, Alshamy G, Chan B, Abrams R, Greenberg E, Saxena A, Bradbury M, Edgar M, Gutin P, Tabar V. Long-term impact of radiation on the stem cell and oligodendrocyte precursors in the brain. PLoS One 2007; 2:e588. [PMID: 17622341 PMCID: PMC1913551 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0000588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2007] [Accepted: 05/31/2007] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The cellular basis of long term radiation damage in the brain is not fully understood. Methods and Findings We administered a dose of 25Gy to adult rat brains while shielding the olfactory bulbs. Quantitative analyses were serially performed on different brain regions over 15 months. Our data reveal an immediate and permanent suppression of SVZ proliferation and neurogenesis. The olfactory bulb demonstrates a transient but remarkable SVZ-independent ability for compensation and maintenance of the calretinin interneuron population. The oligodendrocyte compartment exhibits a complex pattern of limited proliferation of NG2 progenitors but steady loss of the oligodendroglial antigen O4. As of nine months post radiation, diffuse demyelination starts in all irradiated brains. Counts of capillary segments and length demonstrate significant loss one day post radiation but swift and persistent recovery of the vasculature up to 15 months post XRT. MRI imaging confirms loss of volume of the corpus callosum and early signs of demyelination at 12 months. Ultrastructural analysis demonstrates progressive degradation of myelin sheaths with axonal preservation. Areas of focal necrosis appear beyond 15 months and are preceded by widespread demyelination. Human white matter specimens obtained post-radiation confirm early loss of oligodendrocyte progenitors and delayed onset of myelin sheath fragmentation with preserved capillaries. Conclusions This study demonstrates that long term radiation injury is associated with irreversible damage to the neural stem cell compartment in the rodent SVZ and loss of oligodendrocyte precursor cells in both rodent and human brain. Delayed onset demyelination precedes focal necrosis and is likely due to the loss of oligodendrocyte precursors and the inability of the stem cell compartment to compensate for this loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgia Panagiotakos
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - George Alshamy
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Bill Chan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Rory Abrams
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Edward Greenberg
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Amit Saxena
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Michelle Bradbury
- Department of Radiology, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Mark Edgar
- Department of Pathology, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Philip Gutin
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Viviane Tabar
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York, New York, United States of America
- * To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
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O’Neil JN, Mouton PR, Tizabi Y, Ottinger MA, Lei DL, Ingram DK, Manaye KF. Catecholaminergic neuronal loss in locus coeruleus of aged female dtg APP/PS1 mice. J Chem Neuroanat 2007; 34:102-7. [PMID: 17658239 PMCID: PMC5483173 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2007.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2006] [Revised: 05/18/2007] [Accepted: 05/18/2007] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia afflicting the elderly. In addition to the presence of cortical senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, AD is characterized at autopsy by extensive degeneration of brainstem locus coeruleus (LC) neurons that provide noradrenergic innervation to cortical neuropil, together with relative stability of dopaminergic neuron number in substantia nigra (SN) and ventral tegmental area (VTA). The present study used design-based stereological methods to assess catecholaminergic neuronal loss in brains of double transgenic female mice that co-express two human mutations associated with familial AD, amyloid precursor protein (APP(swe)) and presenilin-1 (PS1(DeltaE9)). Mice were analyzed at two age groups, 3-6 months and 16-23 months, when deposition of AD-type beta-amyloid (Abeta) plaques occurs in cortical brain regions. Blocks of brain tissue containing the noradrenergic LC nucleus and two nuclei of dopaminergic neurons, the SN and VTA, were sectioned and sampled in a systematic-random manner and immunostained for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), a specific marker for catecholaminergic neurons. Using the optical fractionator method we found a 24% reduction in the total number of TH-positive neurons in LC with no changes in SN-VTA of aged dtg APP/PS1 mice compared with non-transgenic controls. No significant differences were observed in numbers of TH-positive neurons in LC or SN-VTA in brains of young female dtg APP/PS1 mice compared to their age-matched controls. The findings of selective neurodegeneration of LC neurons in the brains of aged female dtg APP/PS1 mice mimic the neuropathology in the brains of AD patients at autopsy. These findings support the use of murine models of Abeta deposition to develop novel strategies for the therapeutic management of patients afflicted with AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jahn N. O’Neil
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Howard University, Washington, DC
| | - Peter R. Mouton
- Laboratory of Experimental Gerontology, NIA, NIH, Baltimore, MD
- Stereology Resource Center (SRC), Baltimore, MD
| | - Yousef Tizabi
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Howard University, Washington, DC
| | | | - De-liang Lei
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Howard University, Washington, DC
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | | | - Kebreten F. Manaye
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Howard University, Washington, DC
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Franciosi S, De Gasperi R, Dickstein DL, English DF, Rocher AB, Janssen WG, Christoffel D, Gama Sosa MA, Hof PR, Buxbaum JD, Elder GA. Pepsin pretreatment allows collagen IV immunostaining of blood vessels in adult mouse brain. J Neurosci Methods 2007; 163:76-82. [PMID: 17403541 PMCID: PMC1931483 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2007.02.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2006] [Revised: 02/15/2007] [Accepted: 02/16/2007] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
While the brain vasculature can be imaged with many methods, immunohistochemistry has distinct advantages due to its simplicity and applicability to archival tissue. However, immunohistochemical staining of the murine brain vasculature in aldehyde fixed tissue has proven elusive and inconsistent using current protocols. Here we investigated whether antigen retrieval methods could improve vascular staining in the adult mouse brain. We found that pepsin digestion prior to immunostaining unmasked widespread collagen IV staining of the cerebrovasculature in the adult mouse brain. Pepsin treatment also unmasked widespread vascular staining with laminin, but only marginally improved isolectin B4 staining and did not enhance vascular staining with fibronectin, perlecan or CD146. Collagen IV immunoperoxidase staining was easily combined with cresyl violet counterstaining making it suitable for stereological analyses of both vascular and neuronal parameters in the same tissue section. This method should be widely applicable for labeling the brain vasculature of the mouse in aldehyde fixed tissue from both normal and pathological states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Franciosi
- Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029 USA
- Department of Laboratory of Molecular Neuropsychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029 USA
- Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468 USA
| | - Rita De Gasperi
- Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029 USA
- Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468 USA
| | - Dara L. Dickstein
- Department of Neuroscience, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029 USA
| | - Daniel F. English
- Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029 USA
- Department of Laboratory of Molecular Neuropsychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029 USA
| | - Anne B. Rocher
- Department of Neuroscience, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029 USA
| | - William G.M. Janssen
- Department of Neuroscience, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029 USA
| | - Daniel Christoffel
- Department of Neuroscience, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029 USA
| | - Miguel A. Gama Sosa
- Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029 USA
- Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468 USA
| | - Patrick R. Hof
- Department of Neuroscience, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029 USA
| | - Joseph D. Buxbaum
- Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029 USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029 USA
- Department of Human Genetics, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029 USA
- Department of Laboratory of Molecular Neuropsychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029 USA
| | - Gregory A. Elder
- Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029 USA
- Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468 USA
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Imhof A, Kövari E, von Gunten A, Gold G, Rivara CB, Herrmann FR, Hof PR, Bouras C, Giannakopoulos P. Morphological substrates of cognitive decline in nonagenarians and centenarians: a new paradigm? J Neurol Sci 2007; 257:72-9. [PMID: 17303173 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2007.01.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Brain aging is characterized by the formation of neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) and senile plaques (SP) in both cognitively intact individuals and patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The ubiquitous presence of these lesions and the steady increase of the prevalence of dementia up to 85 years have strongly supported a continuum between normal brain aging and AD. In this context, the study of nonagenarians and centenarians could provide key informations about the characteristics of extreme aging. We provide here a detailed review of currently available neuropathological data in very old individuals and critically discuss the patterns of NFT, SP and neuronal loss distribution as a function of age. In younger cohorts, NFTs are usually restricted to hippocampal formation, whereas clinical signs of dementia appear when temporal neocortex is involved. SPs would not be a specific marker of cognitive impairment as no correlation was found between their quantitative distribution and AD severity. The low rate of AD lesions even in severe AD as well as the weakness of clinicopathological correlations reported in the oldest-old indicate that AD pathology is not a mandatory phenomenon of increasing chronological age. Our recent stereological observations of hippocampal microvasculature in oldest-old cases challenge the traditional lesional model by revealing that mean capillary diameters is an important structural determinant of cognition in this age group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anouk Imhof
- Department of Psychiatry, HUG, Belle-Idée, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
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