1
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The Molecular Effects of Environmental Enrichment on Alzheimer's Disease. Mol Neurobiol 2022; 59:7095-7118. [PMID: 36083518 PMCID: PMC9616781 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-022-03016-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Environmental enrichment (EE) is an environmental paradigm encompassing sensory, cognitive, and physical stimulation at a heightened level. Previous studies have reported the beneficial effects of EE in the brain, particularly in the hippocampus. EE improves cognitive function as well as ameliorates depressive and anxiety-like behaviors, making it a potentially effective neuroprotective strategy against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we summarize the current evidence for EE as a neuroprotective strategy as well as the potential molecular pathways that can explain the effects of EE from a biochemical perspective using animal models. The effectiveness of EE in enhancing brain activity against neurodegeneration is explored with a view to differences present in early and late life EE exposure, with its potential application in human being discussed. We discuss EE as one of the non pharmacological approaches in preventing or delaying the onset of AD for future research.
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2
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Mieske P, Hobbiesiefken U, Fischer-Tenhagen C, Heinl C, Hohlbaum K, Kahnau P, Meier J, Wilzopolski J, Butzke D, Rudeck J, Lewejohann L, Diederich K. Bored at home?—A systematic review on the effect of environmental enrichment on the welfare of laboratory rats and mice. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:899219. [PMID: 36061113 PMCID: PMC9435384 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.899219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Boredom is an emotional state that occurs when an individual has nothing to do, is not interested in the surrounding, and feels dreary and in a monotony. While this condition is usually defined for humans, it may very well describe the lives of many laboratory animals housed in small, barren cages. To make the cages less monotonous, environmental enrichment is often proposed. Although housing in a stimulating environment is still used predominantly as a luxury good and for treatment in preclinical research, enrichment is increasingly recognized to improve animal welfare. To gain insight into how stimulating environments influence the welfare of laboratory rodents, we conducted a systematic review of studies that analyzed the effect of enriched environment on behavioral parameters of animal well–being. Remarkably, a considerable number of these parameters can be associated with symptoms of boredom. Our findings show that a stimulating living environment is essential for the development of natural behavior and animal welfare of laboratory rats and mice alike, regardless of age and sex. Conversely, confinement and under-stimulation has potentially detrimental effects on the mental and physical health of laboratory rodents. We show that boredom in experimental animals is measurable and does not have to be accepted as inevitable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Mieske
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Ute Hobbiesiefken
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Carola Fischer-Tenhagen
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Céline Heinl
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Katharina Hohlbaum
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Pia Kahnau
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Jennifer Meier
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Jenny Wilzopolski
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Daniel Butzke
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Juliane Rudeck
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Lars Lewejohann
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Animal Welfare, Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kai Diederich
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
- *Correspondence: Kai Diederich
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3
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Hoffman JM, Hernandez CM, Hernandez AR, Bizon JL, Burke SN, Carter CS, Buford TW. Bridging the Gap: A Geroscience Primer for Neuroscientists With Potential Collaborative Applications. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2022; 77:e10-e18. [PMID: 34653247 PMCID: PMC8751800 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glab314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
While neurodegenerative diseases can strike at any age, the majority of afflicted individuals are diagnosed at older ages. Due to the important impact of age in disease diagnosis, the field of neuroscience could greatly benefit from the many of the theories and ideas from the biology of aging-now commonly referred as geroscience. As discussed in our complementary perspective on the topic, there is often a "silo-ing" between geroscientists who work on understanding the mechanisms underlying aging and neuroscientists who are studying neurodegenerative diseases. While there have been some strong collaborations between the biology of aging and neuroscientists, there is still great potential for enhanced collaborative effort between the 2 fields. To this end, here, we review the state of the geroscience field, discuss how neuroscience could benefit from thinking from a geroscience perspective, and close with a brief discussion on some of the "missing links" between geroscience and neuroscience and how to remedy them. Notably, we have a corresponding, concurrent review from the neuroscience perspective. Our overall goal is to "bridge the gap" between geroscience and neuroscience such that more efficient, reproducible research with translational potential can be conducted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M Hoffman
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Caesar M Hernandez
- Department of Cellular, Development, and Integrative Biology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Abbi R Hernandez
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics and Palliative Care, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Jennifer L Bizon
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Sara N Burke
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Christy S Carter
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics and Palliative Care, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.,Nathan Shock Center for Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Thomas W Buford
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics and Palliative Care, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.,Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Birmingham Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
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4
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Durán-Carabali LE, Odorcyk FK, Greggio S, Venturin GT, Sanches EF, Schu GG, Carvalho AS, Pedroso TA, de Sá Couto-Pereira N, Da Costa JC, Dalmaz C, Zimmer ER, Netto CA. Pre- and early postnatal enriched environmental experiences prevent neonatal hypoxia-ischemia late neurodegeneration via metabolic and neuroplastic mechanisms. J Neurochem 2020; 157:1911-1929. [PMID: 33098090 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 10/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal and early postnatal periods are important for brain development and neural function. Neonatal insults such as hypoxia-ischemia (HI) causes prolonged neural and metabolic dysregulation, affecting central nervous system maturation. There is evidence that brain hypometabolism could increase the risk of adult-onset neurodegenerative diseases. However, the impact of non-pharmacologic strategies to attenuate HI-induced brain glucose dysfunction is still underexplored. This study investigated the long-term effects of early environmental enrichment in metabolic, cell, and functional responses after neonatal HI. Thereby, male Wistar rats were divided according to surgical procedure, sham, and HI (performed at postnatal day 3), and the allocation to standard (SC) or enriched condition (EC) during gestation and lactation periods. In-vivo cerebral metabolism was assessed by means of [18 F]-FDG micro-positron emission tomography, and cognitive, biochemical, and histological analyses were performed in adulthood. Our findings reveal that HI causes a reduction in glucose metabolism and glucose transporter levels as well as hyposynchronicity in metabolic brain networks. However, EC during prenatal or early postnatal period attenuated these metabolic disturbances. A positive correlation was observed between [18 F]-FDG values and volume ratios in adulthood, indicating that preserved tissue by EC is metabolically active. EC promotes better cognitive scores, as well as down-regulation of amyloid precursor protein in the parietal cortex and hippocampus of HI animals. Furthermore, growth-associated protein 43 was up-regulated in the cortex of EC animals. Altogether, results presented support that EC during gestation and lactation period can reduce HI-induced impairments that may contribute to functional decline and progressive late neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luz Elena Durán-Carabali
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Physiology, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde (ICBS), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Felipe Kawa Odorcyk
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Physiology, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde (ICBS), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Samuel Greggio
- Preclinical Research Center, Brain Institute (BraIns) of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | | | - Eduardo Farias Sanches
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Guilherme Garcia Schu
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Andrey Soares Carvalho
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Neuroscience, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Thales Avila Pedroso
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Natividade de Sá Couto-Pereira
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Neuroscience, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Jaderson Costa Da Costa
- Preclinical Research Center, Brain Institute (BraIns) of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Carla Dalmaz
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Neuroscience, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Rigon Zimmer
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Carlos Alexandre Netto
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Physiology, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde (ICBS), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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5
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Pritchett-Corning KR. Environmental Complexity and Research Outcomes. ILAR J 2020; 60:239-251. [PMID: 32559304 DOI: 10.1093/ilar/ilaa007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental complexity is an experimental paradigm as well as a potential part of animals' everyday housing experiences. In experimental uses, researchers add complexity to stimulate brain development, delay degenerative brain changes, elicit more naturalistic behaviors, and test learning and memory. Complexity can exacerbate or mitigate behavioral problems, give animals a sense of control, and allow for expression of highly driven, species-typical behaviors that can improve animal welfare. Complex environments should be designed thoughtfully with the animal's natural behaviors in mind, reported faithfully in the literature, and evaluated carefully for unexpected effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen R Pritchett-Corning
- Office of Animal Resources, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.,Department of Comparative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
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6
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Maliszewska-Cyna E, Vecchio LM, Thomason LAM, Oore JJ, Steinman J, Joo IL, Dorr A, McLaurin J, Sled JG, Stefanovic B, Aubert I. The effects of voluntary running on cerebrovascular morphology and spatial short-term memory in a mouse model of amyloidosis. Neuroimage 2020; 222:117269. [PMID: 32818618 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Physical activity has been correlated with a reduced risk of cognitive decline, including that associated with vascular dementia, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD); recent literature suggests this may in part result from benefits to the cerebrovascular network. Using a transgenic (Tg) mouse model of AD, we evaluated the effect of running on cortical and hippocampal vascular morphology, cerebral amyloid angiopathy, amyloid plaque load, and spatial memory. TgCRND8 mice present with progressive amyloid pathology, advancing from the cortex to the hippocampus in a time-dependent manner. We postulated that the characteristic progression of pathology could lead to differential, time-dependent effects of physical activity on vascular morphology in these brain regions at 6 months of age. We used two-photon fluorescent microscopy and 3D vessel tracking to characterize vascular and amyloid pathology in sedentary TgCRND8 mice compared those who have a history of physical activity (unlimited access to a running wheel, from 3 to 6 months of age). In sedentary TgCRND8 mice, capillary density was found to be lower in the cortex and higher in the hippocampus compared to non-transgenic (nonTg) littermates. Capillary length, vessel branching, and non-capillary vessel tortuosity were also higher in the hippocampus of sedentary TgCRND8 compared to nonTg mice. Three months of voluntary running resulted in normalizing cortical and hippocampal microvascular morphology, with no significant difference between TgCRND8 and nonTg mice. The benefits of physical activity on cortical and hippocampal vasculature in 6-month old TgCRND8 mice were not paralleled by significant changes on parenchymal and cerebral amyloid pathology. Short-term spatial memory- as evaluated by performance in the Y-maze- was significantly improved in running compared to sedentary TgCRND8 mice. These results suggest that long-term voluntary running contributes to the maintenance of vascular morphology and spatial memory in TgCRND8 mice, even in the absence of an effect on amyloid pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewelina Maliszewska-Cyna
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences, Biological Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Ave, S112, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Laura M Vecchio
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences, Biological Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Ave, S112, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada.
| | - Lynsie A M Thomason
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences, Physical Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Canada
| | - Jonathan J Oore
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences, Biological Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Ave, S112, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Joe Steinman
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Illsung Lewis Joo
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences, Physical Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Canada
| | - Adrienne Dorr
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences, Physical Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Canada
| | - JoAnne McLaurin
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences, Biological Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Ave, S112, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - John G Sled
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Bojana Stefanovic
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences, Physical Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Isabelle Aubert
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences, Biological Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Ave, S112, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
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7
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Abstract
Animal welfare is a growing societal concern and the well-being of animals used
for experimental purposes is under particular scrutiny. The vast majority of
laboratory animals are mice living in small cages that do not offer very much
variety. Moreover, the experimental procedure often takes very little time
compared to the time these animals have been bred to the desired age or are
being held available for animal experimentation. However, for the assessment of
animal welfare, the time spent waiting for an experiment or the time spent after
finishing an experiment has also to be taken into account. In addition to
experimental animals, many additional animals (e.g. for breeding and maintenance
of genetic lines, surplus animals) are related to animal experimentation and
usually face similar living conditions. Therefore, in terms of improving the
overall welfare of laboratory animals, there is not only a need for refinement
of experimental conditions but especially for improving living conditions
outside the experiment. The improvement of animal welfare thus depends to a
large extent on the housing and maintenance conditions of all animals related to
experimentation. Given the current state of animal welfare research there is
indeed a great potential for improving the overall welfare of laboratory
animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Lewejohann
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Berlin, Germany.,Institute of Animal Welfare, Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
| | - Kerstin Schwabe
- Department of Neurosurgery, Hannover Medical School, Germany
| | - Christine Häger
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science, Hannover Medical School, Germany
| | - Paulin Jirkof
- Department Animal Welfare and 3Rs, University of Zurich, Switzerland
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8
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Robison LS, Francis N, Popescu DL, Anderson ME, Hatfield J, Xu F, Anderson BJ, Van Nostrand WE, Robinson JK. Environmental Enrichment: Disentangling the Influence of Novelty, Social, and Physical Activity on Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy in a Transgenic Mouse Model. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E843. [PMID: 32012921 PMCID: PMC7038188 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21030843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2020] [Revised: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is the deposition of amyloid protein in the cerebral vasculature, a common feature in both aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the effects of environmental factors, particularly cognitive stimulation, social stimulation, and physical activity, on CAA pathology are poorly understood. These factors, delivered in the form of the environmental enrichment (EE) paradigm in rodents, have been shown to have beneficial effects on the brain and behavior in healthy aging and AD models. However, the relative importance of these subcomponents on CAA pathology has not been investigated. Therefore, we assessed the effects of EE, social enrichment (SOC), and cognitive enrichment (COG) compared to a control group that was single housed without enrichment (SIN) from 4 to 8 months of age in wild-type mice (WT) and Tg-SwDI mice, a transgenic mouse model of CAA that exhibits cognitive/behavioral deficits. The results show that individual facets of enrichment can affect an animal model of CAA, though the SOC and combined EE conditions are generally the most effective at producing physiological, cognitive/behavioral, and neuropathological changes, adding to a growing literature supporting the benefits of lifestyle interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa S. Robison
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; (L.S.R.); (N.F.); (D.L.P.); (M.E.A.); (B.J.A.)
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Ave, Albany, NY 12208, USA
| | - Nikita Francis
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; (L.S.R.); (N.F.); (D.L.P.); (M.E.A.); (B.J.A.)
- George & Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience, 130 Flagg Road, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA; (J.H.); (F.X.); (W.E.V.N.)
| | - Dominique L. Popescu
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; (L.S.R.); (N.F.); (D.L.P.); (M.E.A.); (B.J.A.)
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, 700 Butler Drive, Providence, RI 02906, USA
| | - Maria E. Anderson
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; (L.S.R.); (N.F.); (D.L.P.); (M.E.A.); (B.J.A.)
- Department of Psychology, Farmingdale State College, 2350 Broadhollow Rd, Farmingdale, NY 11735, USA
| | - Joshua Hatfield
- George & Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience, 130 Flagg Road, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA; (J.H.); (F.X.); (W.E.V.N.)
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
| | - Feng Xu
- George & Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience, 130 Flagg Road, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA; (J.H.); (F.X.); (W.E.V.N.)
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
| | - Brenda J. Anderson
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; (L.S.R.); (N.F.); (D.L.P.); (M.E.A.); (B.J.A.)
| | - William E. Van Nostrand
- George & Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience, 130 Flagg Road, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA; (J.H.); (F.X.); (W.E.V.N.)
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
| | - John K. Robinson
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; (L.S.R.); (N.F.); (D.L.P.); (M.E.A.); (B.J.A.)
- George & Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience, 130 Flagg Road, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA; (J.H.); (F.X.); (W.E.V.N.)
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
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9
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Nalivaeva NN, Turner AJ. Targeting amyloid clearance in Alzheimer's disease as a therapeutic strategy. Br J Pharmacol 2019; 176:3447-3463. [PMID: 30710367 PMCID: PMC6715594 DOI: 10.1111/bph.14593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Revised: 12/08/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Targeting the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide cascade has been at the heart of therapeutic developments in Alzheimer's disease (AD) research for more than 25 years, yet no successful drugs have reached the marketplace based on this hypothesis. Nevertheless, the genetic and other evidence remains strong, if not overwhelming, that Aβ is central to the disease process. Most attention has focused on the biosynthesis of Aβ from its precursor protein through the successive actions of the β- and γ-secretases leading to the development of inhibitors of these membrane proteases. However, the levels of Aβ are maintained through a balance of its biosynthesis and clearance, which occurs both through further proteolysis by a family of amyloid-degrading enzymes (ADEs) and by a variety of transport processes. The development of late-onset AD appears to arise from a failure of these clearance mechanisms rather than by overproduction of the peptide. This review focuses on the nature of these clearance mechanisms, particularly the various proteases known to be involved, and their regulation and potential as therapeutic targets in AD drug development. The majority of the ADEs are zinc metalloproteases [e.g., the neprilysin (NEP) family, insulin-degrading enzyme, and angiotensin converting enzymes (ACE)]. Strategies for up-regulating the expression and activity of these enzymes, such as genetic, epigenetic, stem cell technology, and other pharmacological approaches, will be highlighted. Modifiable physiological mechanisms affecting the efficiency of Aβ clearance, including brain perfusion, obesity, diabetes, and sleep, will also be outlined. These new insights provide optimism for future therapeutic developments in AD research. LINKED ARTICLES: This article is part of a themed section on Therapeutics for Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease: New Directions for Precision Medicine. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v176.18/issuetoc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia N. Nalivaeva
- School of Biomedical SciencesUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
- Laboratory of Physiology and Pathology of CNSI.M. Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry of RASSt. PetersburgRussia
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10
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Serra L, Gelfo F, Petrosini L, Di Domenico C, Bozzali M, Caltagirone C. Rethinking the Reserve with a Translational Approach: Novel Ideas on the Construct and the Interventions. J Alzheimers Dis 2019; 65:1065-1078. [PMID: 30149458 DOI: 10.3233/jad-180609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The concept of brain, cognitive, and neural reserves has been introduced to account for the apparent discrepancies between neurological damage and clinical manifestations. However, these ideas are yet theoretical suggestions that are not completely assimilated in the clinical routine. The mechanisms of the reserves have been extensively studied in neurodegenerative pathologies, in particular in Alzheimer's disease. Both human and animal studies addressed this topic by following two parallel pathways. The specific aim of the present review is to attempt to combine the suggestions derived from the two different research fields to deepen the knowledge about reserves. In fact, the achievement of a comprehensive theoretical framework on reserve mechanisms is an essential step to propose well-timed interventions tailored to the clinical characteristics of patients. The present review highlights the importance of addressing three main aspects: the definition of reserve proxy measures, the interaction between reserve level and therapeutic interventions, and the specific time-window of reserve efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Serra
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Gelfo
- Department of Clinical and Behavioural Neurology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.,Department of Human Sciences, Guglielmo Marconi University, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Petrosini
- Laboratory of Experimental Neurophysiology and Behaviour, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.,Department of Psychology, University Sapienza of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Marco Bozzali
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.,Clinical Imaging Science Center, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, UK
| | - Carlo Caltagirone
- Department of Clinical and Behavioural Neurology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.,Department of Systemic Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
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11
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Stuart KE, King AE, King NE, Collins JM, Vickers JC, Ziebell JM. Late-life environmental enrichment preserves short-term memory and may attenuate microglia in male APP/PS1 mice. Neuroscience 2019; 408:282-292. [PMID: 30999032 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Revised: 04/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/05/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Environmental enrichment (EE) has been consistently reported to enhance cognitive function in mouse models of neuropathology. Microglia, implicated in Alzheimer's disease pathology, may mediate this effect. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of EE on cognitive function and microglia in mouse models of aging and amyloidosis. Male wild-type (Wt) and APP/PS1 mice were randomly assigned to standard housing (SH) or EE from 12 to 18 months of age. Spatial memory testing was performed using the Y and Barnes maze. Immunohistochemical analysis of Aβ load, Iba1 and CD-68-labeled (phagocytic-type) microglia was examined between conditions. EE from 12 months of age was associated with improved short-term memory performance in APP/PS1 mice, despite no reductions to Aβ load. APP/PS1 mice in SH had significantly increased microglia occupying the neocortex and hippocampus (p = 0.02; p = 0.004, respectively) relative to Wt animals. Microglia labeling was not statistically different between EE-exposed APP/PS1 compared to Wt mice, indicating that EE may attenuate the increased microglial load in aging APP/PS1 mice. APP/PS1 mice from EE had significantly (p = 0.01) higher colocalization of Iba1 and CD-68 labeling, indicative of increased phagocytic microglia compared to mice from SH. The findings of the present study suggest that EE after substantial brain amyloidosis, has the potential to preserve domains of cognitive function, while having no effect on Aβ deposition. The current study demonstrates that EE may attenuate microglia in aging APP/PS1 mice, and may promote alterations in cellular phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberley E Stuart
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, Faculty of Health, University of Tasmania, Tasmania, 7000, Australia.
| | - Anna E King
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, Faculty of Health, University of Tasmania, Tasmania, 7000, Australia
| | - Natalie E King
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, Faculty of Health, University of Tasmania, Tasmania, 7000, Australia
| | - Jessica M Collins
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, Faculty of Health, University of Tasmania, Tasmania, 7000, Australia
| | - James C Vickers
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, Faculty of Health, University of Tasmania, Tasmania, 7000, Australia
| | - Jenna M Ziebell
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, Faculty of Health, University of Tasmania, Tasmania, 7000, Australia
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12
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Shepherd A, Zhang TD, Zeleznikow-Johnston AM, Hannan AJ, Burrows EL. Transgenic Mouse Models as Tools for Understanding How Increased Cognitive and Physical Stimulation Can Improve Cognition in Alzheimer's Disease. Brain Plast 2018; 4:127-150. [PMID: 30564551 PMCID: PMC6296266 DOI: 10.3233/bpl-180076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive decline appears as a core feature of dementia, of which the most prevalent form, Alzheimer's disease (AD) affects more than 45 million people worldwide. There is no cure, and therapeutic options remain limited. A number of modifiable lifestyle factors have been identified that contribute to cognitive decline in dementia. Sedentary lifestyle has emerged as a major modifier and accordingly, boosting mental and physical activity may represent a method to prevent decline in dementia. Beneficial effects of increased physical activity on cognition have been reported in healthy adults, showing potential to harness exercise and cognitive stimulation as a therapy in dementia. 'Brain training' (cognitive stimulation) has also been investigated as an intervention protecting against cognitive decline with normal aging. Consequently, the utility of exercise regimes and/or cognitive stimulation to improve cognition in dementia in clinical populations has been a major area of study. However, these therapies are in their infancy and efficacy is unclear. Investigations utilising animal models, where dose and timing of treatment can be tightly controlled, have provided many mechanistic insights. Genetically engineered mouse models are powerful tools to investigate mechanisms underlying cognitive decline, and also how environmental manipulations can alter both cognitive outcomes and pathology. A myriad of effects following physical activity and housing in enriched environments have been reported in transgenic mice expressing Alzheimer's disease-associated mutations. In this review, we comprehensively evaluate all studies applying environmental enrichment and/or increased physical exercise to transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. It is unclear whether interventions must be applied before first onset of cognitive deficits to be effective. In order to determine the importance of timing of interventions, we specifically scrutinised studies exposing transgenic mice to exercise and environmental enrichment before and after first report of cognitive impairment. We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of these preclinical studies and suggest approaches for enhancing rigor and using mechanistic insights to inform future therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Shepherd
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Tracy D Zhang
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Ariel M Zeleznikow-Johnston
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Anthony J Hannan
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Emma L Burrows
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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13
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Balthazar J, Schöwe NM, Cipolli GC, Buck HS, Viel TA. Enriched Environment Significantly Reduced Senile Plaques in a Transgenic Mice Model of Alzheimer's Disease, Improving Memory. Front Aging Neurosci 2018; 10:288. [PMID: 30319394 PMCID: PMC6168651 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2018.00288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Accepted: 09/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with a progressive dementia, and there is good evidence that it is more pronounced in individuals that have fewer stimuli during their lives. Environmental stimulation promotes morphological and functional changes in the brain, leading to amplification of cognitive functions, and has been described in humans and animals. In this study, we evaluated the effects of enriched environment (EE) stimulation on spatial memory and senile plaque formation in transgenic mice PDGFB-APPSwInd (TG) that overexpress the human amyloid precursor protein, normally resulting in an increased density of senile plaques. We compared this group of EE stimulated transgenic mice (TG-EE) with an EE stimulated control group of age-matched C57Bl/6 wild type animals (WT-EE). Both groups were exposed to EE stimulation between the ages of 8 and 12 months. As controls of the experiment, there were a group of TG mice not exposed to EE (TG-Ctrl) and a group of WT mice not exposed to EE (WT-Ctrl). The TG-EE group presented improved spatial memory when compared to the TG-Ctrl animals. In addition, the TG-EE group showed a 69.2% reduction in the total density of senile plaques in the hippocampus when compared to the TG-Ctrl group. In this group, the concentration of senile plaques was greater in the dorsal part of the hippocampus, which is linked to spatial localization, and the reduction of this density after the submission to EE was as high as 85.1%. EE stimulation had no effect on the density of amyloid-β (Aβ) oligomers. However, amyloid scavenger receptor class B member 1 (SR-B1) density was significantly decreased in the TG-Ctrl mice, but not in the TG-EE mice, suggesting that cognitive stimulation had an effect on the formation of a cognitive reserve that could prevent the accumulation of senile plaques. It is suggested that the stimulation of old mice by EE for 4 months led to the formation of brain resilience that protected the brain from the deposition of senile plaques, one of the hallmarks of AD, leading to improvement in spatial memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janaina Balthazar
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Natalia Mendes Schöwe
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Hudson Sousa Buck
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Santa Casa de São Paulo School of Medical Sciences, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tania Araujo Viel
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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14
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Ikonomovic MD, Abrahamson EE, Carlson SW, Graham SH, Dixon CE. Novel therapies for combating chronic neuropathological sequelae of TBI. Neuropharmacology 2018; 145:160-176. [PMID: 29933008 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Revised: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 06/15/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a risk factor for development of chronic neurodegenerative disorders later in life. This review summarizes the current knowledge and concepts regarding the connection between long-term consequences of TBI and aging-associated neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease (AD), chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), and Parkinsonism, with implications for novel therapy targets. Several aggregation-prone proteins such as the amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides, tau proteins, and α-synuclein protein are involved in secondary pathogenic cascades initiated by a TBI and are also major building blocks of the hallmark pathological lesions in chronic human neurodegenerative diseases with dementia. Impaired metabolism and degradation pathways of aggregation-prone proteins are discussed as potentially critical links between the long-term aftermath of TBI and chronic neurodegeneration. Utility and limitations of previous and current preclinical TBI models designed to study the link between TBI and chronic neurodegeneration, and promising intervention pharmacotherapies and non-pharmacologic strategies to break this link, are also summarized. Complexity of long-term neuropathological consequences of TBI is discussed, with a goal of guiding future preclinical studies and accelerating implementation of promising therapeutics into clinical trials. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled "Novel Treatments for Traumatic Brain Injury".
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Affiliation(s)
- Milos D Ikonomovic
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Pittsburgh VA Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Eric E Abrahamson
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Pittsburgh VA Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Shaun W Carlson
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Pittsburgh VA Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Steven H Graham
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Pittsburgh VA Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - C Edward Dixon
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Pittsburgh VA Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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15
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Freese L, Almeida FB, Heidrich N, Hansen AW, Steffens L, Steinmetz A, Moura DJ, Gomez R, Barros HMT. Environmental enrichment reduces cocaine neurotoxicity during cocaine-conditioned place preference in male rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2018; 169:10-15. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2018.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2017] [Revised: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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16
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Balietti M, Giuli C, Fattoretti P, Fabbietti P, Papa R, Postacchini D, Conti F. Effect of a Comprehensive Intervention on Plasma BDNF in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2018; 57:37-43. [PMID: 28222525 PMCID: PMC5345639 DOI: 10.3233/jad-161168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
A comprehensive intervention (CI) on patients with Alzheimer’s disease was assessed by measuring plasmabrain-derived neurotrophic factor (pBDNF) and ADAS-Cog score (ADAS-Cogscore) before, immediately after (FU1), and 6 (FU2) and 24 months (FU3) after the CI. Baseline pBDNF was higher in patients with moderate AD (but not mild AD) than in healthy controls. At FU1, pBDNF and ADAS-Cogscore decreased significantly. At FU2 and FU3, patients’ cognitive status worsened and pBDNF further increased versus baseline, suggesting that CI interruption may be a stress event that prevents return to homeostasis. CI exerted positive short-term effects, but more information is needed on long-term consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Roberta Papa
- Center of Socio-economic Gerontological Research, INRCA, Ancona, Italy
| | | | - Fiorenzo Conti
- Center for Neurobiology of Aging, INRCA, Ancona, Italy.,Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Section of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
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17
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Cao M, Hu PP, Zhang YL, Yan YX, Shields CB, Zhang YP, Hu G, Xiao M. Enriched physical environment reverses spatial cognitive impairment of socially isolated APPswe/PS1dE9 transgenic mice before amyloidosis onset. CNS Neurosci Ther 2017; 24:202-211. [PMID: 29274291 DOI: 10.1111/cns.12790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2017] [Revised: 12/03/2017] [Accepted: 12/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS Social isolation increases the onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Environmental enrichment, a complicated social and physical construct, plays beneficial effects on brain plasticity and function. This study was designed to determine whether physical enrichment can reduce the deleterious consequences of social isolation on the onset of AD. METHODS One-month-old APPswe/PS1dE9 transgenic AD model mice were singly housed in the enriched physical environment for 8 weeks and then received behavioral tests, neuropathological analyses, and Western blot of the hippocampus. RESULTS The enriched physical environment reversed spatial cognitive decline of socially isolated APPswe/PS1dE9 mice. The functional reversal was associated with decreases in cellular apoptosis, synaptic protein loss, inflammation, and glial activation in the hippocampus, without changes in amyloid β neuropathology. CONCLUSION These results suggest that the enriched physical environment may serve as a nonpharmacological intervention for delaying the onset of AD accompanied with social isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Cao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neurodegeneration, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Key Laboratory for Aging & Disease, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Pan-Pan Hu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neurodegeneration, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yan-Li Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neurodegeneration, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yi-Xin Yan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neurodegeneration, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | | | | | - Gang Hu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neurodegeneration, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ming Xiao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neurodegeneration, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Key Laboratory for Aging & Disease, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Gerontology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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18
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Huang Y, Huang X, Zhang L, Han F, Pang KL, Li X, Shen JY. Magnesium boosts the memory restorative effect of environmental enrichment in Alzheimer's disease mice. CNS Neurosci Ther 2017; 24:70-79. [PMID: 29125684 DOI: 10.1111/cns.12775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2017] [Revised: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 10/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Environmental enrichment (EE) has been shown to enhance cognitive function in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Magnesium-L-threonate (MgT) is a compound with a newly discovered effect to rescue learning and memory function in aging and AD mice. AIM To study the additive therapeutic effect of EE combined with MgT (EM) and the potential mechanism underlying the effects. MATERIALS AND METHODS APP/PS1 mice were treated with EE, MgT, or combination of EE and MgT (EM) and compared for restored memory function. RESULTS EM was more effective in improving cognition and spatial memory than either treatment alone in either long-term (12 months, started at 3 months old, which was before disease manifestation) or short-term (3 months, started at 6 months old, which was after disease manifestation) treatment. The behavioral improvement has coincided with rescue of synaptic contacts in the hippocampal region of the AD mouse brain. Immunoblots also showed that EM but neither single treatment rescued the activity reduction in CaMKII and CREB, two important downstream molecules in the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) pathway. CONCLUSION Environmental enrichment and MgT may synergistically improve recognition and spatial memory by reducing synaptic loss and restoring the NMDAR signaling pathway in AD mice, which suggests that combination of EE and MgT may be a novel therapeutic strategy for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Huang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Xian Huang
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Ling Zhang
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Fang Han
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Ke-Liang Pang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Xue Li
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Jian-Ying Shen
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.,Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
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19
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Impact of enriched environment on production of tau, amyloid precursor protein and, amyloid-β peptide in high-fat and high-sucrose-fed rats. Acta Neuropsychiatr 2017; 29:291-298. [PMID: 27923413 DOI: 10.1017/neu.2016.63] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The Western-type diet is associated with an elevated risk of Alzheimer's disease and other milder forms of cognitive impairment. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of the environmental enrichment on amyloid and tau pathology in high-fat and high-sucrose-fed rats. METHODS In total, 40 adult male rats were categorised into two main groups according to their housing conditions: enriched environment (EE, n=16) and standard housing condition (n=24). The groups were further divided into five subgroups that received standard diet, high-fat diet, and high-sucrose diet. We performed the analysis of amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) (1-40), Aβ(1-42), amyloid precursor protein (APP), and tau levels in the hippocampus of rats that were maintained under standard housing conditions or exposed to an EE. RESULTS The EE decreased the Aβ(1-40), Aβ(1-42), APP, and tau levels in high-fat and high-sucrose-fed rats. CONCLUSION This observation shows that EE may rescue diet-induced amyloid and tau pathology.
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20
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Salmin VV, Komleva YK, Kuvacheva NV, Morgun AV, Khilazheva ED, Lopatina OL, Pozhilenkova EA, Shapovalov KA, Uspenskaya YA, Salmina AB. Differential Roles of Environmental Enrichment in Alzheimer's Type of Neurodegeneration and Physiological Aging. Front Aging Neurosci 2017; 9:245. [PMID: 28798684 PMCID: PMC5526976 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2017.00245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2017] [Accepted: 07/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Impairment of hippocampal adult neurogenesis in aging or degenerating brain is a well-known phenomenon caused by the shortage of brain stem cell pool, alterations in the local microenvironment within the neurogenic niches, or deregulation of stem cell development. Environmental enrichment (EE) has been proposed as a potent tool to restore brain functions, to prevent aging-associated neurodegeneration, and to cure neuronal deficits seen in neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. Here, we report our data on the effects of environmental enrichment on hippocampal neurogenesis in vivo and neurosphere-forming capacity of hippocampal stem/progenitor cells in vitro. Two models - Alzheimer's type of neurodegeneration and physiological brain aging - were chosen for the comparative analysis of EE effects. We found that environmental enrichment greatly affects the expression of markers specific for stem cells, progenitor cells and differentiated neurons (Pax6, Ngn2, NeuroD1, NeuN) in the hippocampus of young adult rats or rats with Alzheimer's disease (AD) model but less efficiently in aged animals. Application of time-lag mathematical model for the analysis of impedance traces obtained in real-time monitoring of cell proliferation in vitro revealed that EE could restore neurosphere-forming capacity of hippocampal stem/progenitor cells more efficiently in young adult animals (fourfold greater in the control group comparing to the AD model group) but not in the aged rats (no positive effect of environmental enrichment at all). In accordance with the results obtained in vivo, EE was almost ineffective in the recovery of hippocampal neurogenic reserve in vitro in aged, but not in amyloid-treated or young adult, rats. Therefore, EE-based neuroprotective strategies effective in Aβ-affected brain could not be directly extrapolated to aged brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir V Salmin
- Department of Medical and Biological Physics, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-YasenetskyKrasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - Yulia K Komleva
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical, Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Chemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-YasenetskyKrasnoyarsk, Russia.,Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-YasenetskyKrasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - Natalia V Kuvacheva
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical, Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Chemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-YasenetskyKrasnoyarsk, Russia.,Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-YasenetskyKrasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - Andrey V Morgun
- Department of Pediatrics, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-YasenetskyKrasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - Elena D Khilazheva
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical, Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Chemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-YasenetskyKrasnoyarsk, Russia.,Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-YasenetskyKrasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - Olga L Lopatina
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical, Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Chemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-YasenetskyKrasnoyarsk, Russia.,Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-YasenetskyKrasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - Elena A Pozhilenkova
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical, Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Chemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-YasenetskyKrasnoyarsk, Russia.,Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-YasenetskyKrasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - Konstantin A Shapovalov
- Department of Medical and Biological Physics, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-YasenetskyKrasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - Yulia A Uspenskaya
- Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-YasenetskyKrasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - Alla B Salmina
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical, Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Chemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-YasenetskyKrasnoyarsk, Russia.,Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-YasenetskyKrasnoyarsk, Russia
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21
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Ebrahimi K, Majdi A, Baghaiee B, Hosseini SH, Sadigh-Eteghad S. Physical activity and beta-amyloid pathology in Alzheimer's disease: A sound mind in a sound body. EXCLI JOURNAL 2017; 16:959-972. [PMID: 28900376 PMCID: PMC5579405 DOI: 10.17179/excli2017-475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2017] [Accepted: 06/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia worldwide. Since curative treatment has not been established for AD yet and due to heavy financial and psychological costs of patients' care, special attention has been paid to preventive interventions such as physical activity. Evidence shows that physical activity has protective effects on cognitive function and memory in AD patients. Several pathologic factors are involved in AD-associated cognitive impairment some of which are preventable by physical activity. Also, various experimental and clinical studies are in progress to prove exercise role in the beta-amyloid (Aβ) pathology as a most prevailing hypothesis explaining AD pathogenesis. This study aims to review the role of physical activity in Aβ-related pathophysiology in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khadije Ebrahimi
- Department of Sports Science and Physical Education, Marand Branch, Islamic Azad University, Marand, Iran
| | - Alireza Majdi
- Neurosciences Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Behrouz Baghaiee
- Department of Sports Science and Physical Education, Jolfa Branch, Islamic Azad University, Jolfa, Iran
| | - Seyed Hojjat Hosseini
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Saeed Sadigh-Eteghad
- Neurosciences Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
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22
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Stuart KE, King AE, Fernandez-Martos CM, Summers MJ, Vickers JC. Environmental novelty exacerbates stress hormones and Aβ pathology in an Alzheimer's model. Sci Rep 2017; 7:2764. [PMID: 28584278 PMCID: PMC5459800 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-03016-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Accepted: 04/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive stimulation has been proposed as a non-pharmacological intervention to be used in primary, secondary and tertiary prevention approaches for Alzheimer's disease. A common familial Alzheimer's disease transgenic model showed heightened levels of the stress hormone, corticosterone. When exposed to periodic enhanced cognitive stimulation, these animals demonstrated further heightened levels of corticosterone as well as increased Aβ pathology. Hence, Alzheimer's disease may be associated with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction, causing stimulatory environments to become stress-inducing, leading to a glucocorticoid-pathology cycle contributing to further Aβ release and plaque formation. This finding suggests that stimulation-based interventions and local environments for people with Alzheimer's disease need to be designed to minimise a stress response that may exacerbate brain pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberley E Stuart
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, Faculty of Health, University of Tasmania, Tasmania, 7000, Australia.
| | - Anna E King
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, Faculty of Health, University of Tasmania, Tasmania, 7000, Australia
| | - Carmen M Fernandez-Martos
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, Faculty of Health, University of Tasmania, Tasmania, 7000, Australia
| | - Mathew J Summers
- School of Social Sciences, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Queensland, 4556, Australia
| | - James C Vickers
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, Faculty of Health, University of Tasmania, Tasmania, 7000, Australia
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23
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Campêlo CL, Santos JR, Silva AF, Dierschnabel AL, Pontes A, Cavalcante JS, Ribeiro AM, Silva RH. Exposure to an enriched environment facilitates motor recovery and prevents short-term memory impairment and reduction of striatal BDNF in a progressive pharmacological model of parkinsonism in mice. Behav Brain Res 2017; 328:138-148. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.04.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2016] [Revised: 04/11/2017] [Accepted: 04/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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24
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Li BY, Wang Y, Tang HD, Chen SD. The role of cognitive activity in cognition protection: from Bedside to Bench. Transl Neurodegener 2017; 6:7. [PMID: 28360996 PMCID: PMC5371186 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-017-0078-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2017] [Accepted: 03/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive decline poses a great concern to elderly people and their families. In addition to pharmacological therapies, several varieties of nonpharmacological intervention have been developed. Most training trials proved that a well-organized task is clinically effective in cognition improvement. MAIN BODY We will first review clinical trials of cognitive training for healthy elders, MCI and AD patients, respectively. Besides, potential neuroprotective and compensatory mechanisms in animal models of AD are discussed. Despite controversy, cognitive training has promising effect on cognitive ability. In animal model of AD, environmental enrichment showed beneficial effect for cognitive ability, as well as neuronal plasticity. Neurotrophin, neurotransmitter and neuromodulator signaling pathway were also involved in the process. Well-designed cognitive activity could benefit cognitive function, and thus life quality of patients and their families. CONCLUSION The positive effects of cognitive activity is closely related with neural plasticity, neurotrophin, neurotransmitter and neuromodulator signaling pathway changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin-Yin Li
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurology and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Rui Jin Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025 China
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurology and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Rui Jin Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025 China
| | - Hui-Dong Tang
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurology and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Rui Jin Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025 China
| | - Sheng-Di Chen
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurology and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Rui Jin Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025 China
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25
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Stuart KE, King AE, Fernandez-Martos CM, Dittmann J, Summers MJ, Vickers JC. Mid-life environmental enrichment increases synaptic density in CA1 in a mouse model of Aβ-associated pathology and positively influences synaptic and cognitive health in healthy ageing. J Comp Neurol 2017; 525:1797-1810. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.24156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2016] [Revised: 11/09/2016] [Accepted: 11/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kimberley E. Stuart
- Faculty of Health; Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania; Tasmania Australia
| | - Anna E. King
- Faculty of Health; Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania; Tasmania Australia
| | - Carmen M. Fernandez-Martos
- Faculty of Health; Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania; Tasmania Australia
| | - Justin Dittmann
- Faculty of Health; Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania; Tasmania Australia
| | - Mathew J. Summers
- Faculty of Health; Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania; Tasmania Australia
- School of Social Sciences; University of the Sunshine Coast; Sippy Downs Queensland Australia
| | - James C. Vickers
- Faculty of Health; Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania; Tasmania Australia
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26
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Dorr A, Thomason LA, Koletar MM, Joo IL, Steinman J, Cahill LS, Sled JG, Stefanovic B. Effects of voluntary exercise on structure and function of cortical microvasculature. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2017; 37:1046-1059. [PMID: 27683451 PMCID: PMC5363487 DOI: 10.1177/0271678x16669514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Aerobic activity has been shown highly beneficial to brain health, yet much uncertainty still surrounds the effects of exercise on the functioning of cerebral microvasculature. This study used two-photon fluorescence microscopy to examine cerebral hemodynamic alterations as well as accompanying geometric changes in the cortical microvascular network following five weeks of voluntary exercise in transgenic mice endogenously expressing tdTomato in vascular endothelial cells to allow visualization of microvessels irrespective of their perfusion levels. We found a diminished microvascular response to a hypercapnic challenge (10% FiCO2) in running mice when compared to that in nonrunning controls despite commensurate increases in transcutaneous CO2 tension. The flow increase to hypercapnia in runners was 70% lower than that in nonrunners (p = 0.0070) and the runners' arteriolar red blood cell speed changed by only half the amount seen in nonrunners (p = 0.0085). No changes were seen in resting hemodynamics or in the systemic physiological parameters measured. Although a few unperfused new vessels were observed on visual inspection, running did not produce significant morphological differences in the microvascular morphometric parameters, quantified following semiautomated tracking of the microvascular networks. We propose that voluntary running led to increased cortical microvascular efficiency and desensitization to CO2 elevation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Illsung L Joo
- 1 Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Canada.,2 Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Joe Steinman
- 2 Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,3 Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Lindsay S Cahill
- 3 Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - John G Sled
- 2 Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,3 Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Bojana Stefanovic
- 1 Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Canada.,2 Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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27
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Schaefers ATU, Teuchert-Noodt G. Developmental neuroplasticity and the origin of neurodegenerative diseases. World J Biol Psychiatry 2016; 17:587-599. [PMID: 23705632 DOI: 10.3109/15622975.2013.797104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease, marked by characteristic protein aggregations, are more and more accepted to be synaptic disorders and to arise from a combination of genetic and environmental factors. In this review we propose our concept that neuroplasticity might constitute a link between early life challenges and neurodegeneration. METHODS After introducing the general principles of neuroplasticity, we show how adverse environmental stimuli during development impact adult neuroplasticity and might lead to neurodegenerative processes. RESULTS There are significant overlaps between neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative processes. Proteins that represent hallmarks of neurodegeneration are involved in plastic processes under physiological conditions. Brain regions - particularly the hippocampus - that retain life-long plastic capacities are the key targets of neurodegeneration. Neuroplasticity is highest in young age making the brain more susceptible to external influences than later in life. Impacts during critical periods have life-long consequences on neuroplasticity and structural self-organization and are known to be common risk factors for neurodegenerative diseases. CONCLUSIONS Several lines of evidence support a link between developmental neuroplasticity and neurodegenerative processes later in life. A deeper insight into these processes is necessary to design strategies to mitigate or even prevent neurodegenerative pathologies.
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28
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Herring A, Münster Y, Metzdorf J, Bolczek B, Krüssel S, Krieter D, Yavuz I, Karim F, Roggendorf C, Stang A, Wang Y, Hermann DM, Teuber-Hanselmann S, Keyvani K. Late running is not too late against Alzheimer's pathology. Neurobiol Dis 2016; 94:44-54. [PMID: 27312772 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2016.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2016] [Revised: 05/27/2016] [Accepted: 06/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last decade a vast number of animal studies have produced overwhelming evidence that exercise not only compensates for memory loss by increasing brain plasticity and cognitive reserve but also directly counteracts Alzheimer-like pathology when provided before disease onset or in early disease stages. But so far, there is little knowledge about therapeutic effects of training when started in advanced disease stages. In the present study we show that following seven months of sedentary life style five months of wheel running, started four months after disease onset was still able to mitigate at least some aspects of the full-blown Alzheimer's pathology in TgCRND8 mice. Late running had mild but significant effects on structural plasticity by increasing the dendritic complexity. It further reduced beta-amyloid (Aβ) plaque burden and enhanced Aβ clearance across the blood-brain barrier, along with attenuating microgliosis, inflammation, oxidative stress, and autophagy deficits, resulting in better memory performance and less agitation. However, unlike early exercise, late running did not affect abnormal amyloid precursor protein metabolism, tau pathology, or angiogenesis. These results allow concluding that it is never too late to counteract Alzheimer's disease with physical training but the earlier the intervention starts, the more pronounced is the therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arne Herring
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Yvonne Münster
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Judith Metzdorf
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Bastien Bolczek
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Sarah Krüssel
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - David Krieter
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Ilkay Yavuz
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Fro Karim
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Constanze Roggendorf
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Anthony Stang
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Yachao Wang
- Department of Neurology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Dirk M Hermann
- Department of Neurology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Sarah Teuber-Hanselmann
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Kathy Keyvani
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany.
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29
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Mattson MP. Late-onset dementia: a mosaic of prototypical pathologies modifiable by diet and lifestyle. NPJ Aging Mech Dis 2015. [PMID: 28642821 PMCID: PMC5478237 DOI: 10.1038/npjamd.2015.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Idiopathic late-onset dementia (ILOD) describes impairments of memory, reasoning and/or social abilities in the elderly that compromise their daily functioning. Dementia occurs in several major prototypical neurodegenerative disorders that are currently defined by neuropathological criteria, most notably Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Lewy body dementia (LBD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and hippocampal sclerosis of aging (HSA). However, people who die with ILOD commonly exhibit mixed pathologies that vary within and between brain regions. Indeed, many patients diagnosed with probable AD exhibit only modest amounts of disease-defining amyloid β-peptide plaques and p-Tau tangles, and may have features of FTD (TDP-43 inclusions), Parkinson’s disease (α-synuclein accumulation), HSA and vascular lesions. Here I argue that this ‘mosaic neuropathological landscape’ is the result of commonalities in aging-related processes that render neurons vulnerable to the entire spectrum of ILODs. In this view, all ILODs involve deficits in neuronal energy metabolism, neurotrophic signaling and adaptive cellular stress responses, and associated dysregulation of neuronal calcium handling and autophagy. Although this mosaic of neuropathologies and underlying mechanisms poses major hurdles for development of disease-specific therapeutic interventions, it also suggests that certain interventions would be beneficial for all ILODs. Indeed, emerging evidence suggests that the brain can be protected against ILOD by lifelong intermittent physiological challenges including exercise, energy restriction and intellectual endeavors; these interventions enhance cellular stress resistance and facilitate neuroplasticity. There is also therapeutic potential for interventions that bolster neuronal bioenergetics and/or activate one or more adaptive cellular stress response pathways in brain cells. A wider appreciation that all ILODs share age-related cellular and molecular alterations upstream of aggregated protein lesions, and that these upstream events can be mitigated, may lead to implementation of novel intervention strategies aimed at reversing the rising tide of ILODs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark P Mattson
- Laboratory of Neurosciences, National Institute on Aging Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD 21224.,Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
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30
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Tracing the trajectory of behavioral impairments and oxidative stress in an animal model of neonatal inflammation. Neuroscience 2015; 298:455-66. [PMID: 25934038 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.04.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2015] [Revised: 04/20/2015] [Accepted: 04/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to early-life inflammation results in time-of-challenge-dependent changes in both brain and behavior. The consequences of this neural and behavioral reprogramming are most often reported in adulthood. However, the trajectory for the expression of these various changes is not well delineated, particularly between the juvenile and adult phases of development. Moreover, interventions to protect against these neurodevelopmental disruptions are rarely evaluated. Here, female Sprague-Dawley rats were housed in either environmental enrichment (EE) or standard care (SC) and their male and female offspring were administered 50 μg/kg i.p. of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or pyrogen-free saline in a dual-administration neonatal protocol. All animals maintained their respective housing assignments from breeding until the end of the study. LPS exposure on postnatal days (P) 3 and 5 of life resulted in differential expression of emotional and cognitive disruptions and evidence of oxidative stress across development. Specifically, social behavior was reduced in neonatal-treated (n)LPS animals at adolescence (P40), but not adulthood (P70). In contrast, male nLPS rats exhibited intact spatial memory as adolescents which was impaired in later life. Moreover, these males had decreased prefrontal cortex levels of glutathione at P40, which was normalized in adult animals. Notably, EE appeared to offer some protection against the consequences of inflammation on juvenile social behavior and fully prevented reduced glutathione levels in the juvenile prefrontal cortex. Combined, these time-dependent effects provide evidence that early-life inflammation interacts with other developmental variables, specifically puberty and EE, in the expression (and prevention) of select behavioral and molecular programs.
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31
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Pharmacological blockage and P2X7 deletion hinder aversive memories: Reversion in an enriched environment. Neuroscience 2014; 280:220-30. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2014] [Revised: 09/08/2014] [Accepted: 09/09/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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32
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Hannan AJ. Environmental enrichment and brain repair: harnessing the therapeutic effects of cognitive stimulation and physical activity to enhance experience-dependent plasticity. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2014; 40:13-25. [PMID: 24354721 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 169] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2013] [Accepted: 11/29/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Environmental enrichment (EE) increases levels of novelty and complexity, inducing enhanced sensory, cognitive and motor stimulation. In wild-type rodents, EE has been found to have a range of effects, such as enhancing experience-dependent cellular plasticity and cognitive performance, relative to standard-housed controls. Whilst environmental enrichment is of course a relative term, dependent on the nature of control environmental conditions, epidemiological studies suggest that EE has direct clinical relevance to a range of neurological and psychiatric disorders. EE has been demonstrated to induce beneficial effects in animal models of a wide variety of brain disorders. The first evidence of beneficial effects of EE in a genetically targeted animal model was generated using Huntington's disease transgenic mice. Subsequent studies found that EE was also therapeutic in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease, consistent with epidemiological studies of relevant environmental modifiers. EE has also been found to ameliorate behavioural, cellular and molecular deficits in animal models of various neurological and psychiatric disorders, including Parkinson's disease, stroke, traumatic brain injury, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, depression, schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders. This review will focus on the effects of EE observed in animal models of neurodegenerative brain diseases, at molecular, cellular and behavioural levels. The proposal that EE may act synergistically with other approaches, such as drug and cell therapies, to facilitate brain repair will be discussed. I will also discuss the therapeutic potential of 'enviromimetics', drugs which mimic or enhance the therapeutic effects of cognitive activity and physical exercise, for both neuroprotection and brain repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- A J Hannan
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne Brain Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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33
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Gene-environment interactions: lifetime cognitive activity, APOE genotype, and β-amyloid burden. J Neurosci 2014; 34:8612-7. [PMID: 24948815 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4612-13.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Carriers of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele, the major genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD), harbor an increased load of β-amyloid (Aβ) plaque burden that is felt to be a major instigator of AD development. Data has suggested that lifestyle factors may reduce AD risk by directly mitigating Aβ pathology, which could be particularly beneficial in APOE ε4 carriers. We therefore examined the interaction between lifetime cognitive activity and the APOE ε4 allele in relation to brain Aβ burden. We obtained measures of lifetime cognitive activity in 118 cognitively normal human individuals (mean age: 76.13 ± 5.56 years, 70 women) using a validated questionnaire that included measures over early, middle, and current age epochs. Hierarchical regression models (adjusted for age, gender, and years of education) were conducted to examine effects of APOE ε4 carrier status, lifetime cognitive activity, and the interaction of the two factors with cortical Aβ deposition, quantified using [11C] Pittsburgh-compound-B (PIB)-PET. As expected, the ε4 carriers exhibited higher PIB retention compared with noncarriers. Lifetime cognitive activity moderated the APOE genotype effect such that cortical PIB retention was diminished in ε4 carriers that reported higher cognitive activity over the life course. The findings suggest that greater lifetime cognitive activity may forestall AD pathology, specifically in genetically susceptible individuals. The effect could imply that cognitive training promotes increased neural efficiency that might retard the lifelong neurally mediated deposition of Aβ.
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34
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Wirth M, Haase CM, Villeneuve S, Vogel J, Jagust WJ. Neuroprotective pathways: lifestyle activity, brain pathology, and cognition in cognitively normal older adults. Neurobiol Aging 2014; 35:1873-82. [PMID: 24656834 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2014.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2013] [Revised: 02/11/2014] [Accepted: 02/16/2014] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
This study used path analysis to examine effects of cognitive activity and physical activity on cognitive functioning in older adults, through pathways involving beta-amyloid (Aβ) burden, cerebrovascular lesions, and neural injury within the brain regions affected in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Ninety-two cognitively normal older adults (75.2 ± 5.6 years) reported lifetime cognitive activity and current physical activity using validated questionnaires. For each participant, we evaluated cortical Aβ burden (using [(11)C] labeled Pittsburgh-Compound-B positron emission tomography), cerebrovascular lesions (using magnetic resonance imaging-defined white matter lesion [WML]), and neural integrity within AD regions (using a multimodal neuroimaging biomarker). Path models (adjusted for age, gender, and education) indicated that higher lifetime cognitive activity and higher current physical activity was associated with fewer WMLs. Lower WML volumes were in turn related to higher neural integrity and higher global cognitive functioning. As shown previously, higher lifetime cognitive activity was associated with lower [(11)C] labeled Pittsburgh-Compound-B retention, which itself moderated the impact of neural integrity on cognitive functioning. Lifestyle activity may thus promote cognitive health in aging by protecting against cerebrovascular pathology and Aβ pathology thought to be relevant to AD development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miranka Wirth
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
| | - Claudia M Haase
- School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Sylvia Villeneuve
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Jacob Vogel
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - William J Jagust
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA; Life Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA; School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
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35
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Mainardi M, Di Garbo A, Caleo M, Berardi N, Sale A, Maffei L. Environmental enrichment strengthens corticocortical interactions and reduces amyloid-β oligomers in aged mice. Front Aging Neurosci 2014; 6:1. [PMID: 24478697 PMCID: PMC3899529 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2014.00001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2013] [Accepted: 01/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain aging is characterized by global changes which are thought to underlie age-related cognitive decline. These include variations in brain activity and the progressive increase in the concentration of soluble amyloid-β (Aβ) oligomers, directly impairing synaptic function and plasticity even in the absence of any neurodegenerative disorder. Considering the high social impact of the decline in brain performance associated to aging, there is an urgent need to better understand how it can be prevented or contrasted. Lifestyle components, such as social interaction, motor exercise and cognitive activity, are thought to modulate brain physiology and its susceptibility to age-related pathologies. However, the precise functional and molecular factors that respond to environmental stimuli and might mediate their protective action again pathological aging still need to be clearly identified. To address this issue, we exploited environmental enrichment (EE), a reliable model for studying the effect of experience on the brain based on the enhancement of cognitive, social and motor experience, in aged wild-type mice. We analyzed the functional consequences of EE on aged brain physiology by performing in vivo local field potential (LFP) recordings with chronic implants. In addition, we also investigated changes induced by EE on molecular markers of neural plasticity and on the levels of soluble Aβ oligomers. We report that EE induced profound changes in the activity of the primary visual and auditory cortices and in their functional interaction. At the molecular level, EE enhanced plasticity by an upward shift of the cortical excitation/inhibition balance. In addition, EE reduced brain Aβ oligomers and increased synthesis of the Aβ-degrading enzyme neprilysin. Our findings strengthen the potential of EE procedures as a non-invasive paradigm for counteracting brain aging processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Mainardi
- Neuroscience Institute of the National Research Council Pisa, Italy
| | - Angelo Di Garbo
- Biophysics Institute of the National Research Council Pisa, Italy
| | - Matteo Caleo
- Neuroscience Institute of the National Research Council Pisa, Italy
| | - Nicoletta Berardi
- Neuroscience Institute of the National Research Council Pisa, Italy ; Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health (NEUROFARBA), University of Florence Florence, Italy
| | - Alessandro Sale
- Neuroscience Institute of the National Research Council Pisa, Italy
| | - Lamberto Maffei
- Neuroscience Institute of the National Research Council Pisa, Italy ; Accademia dei Lincei Roma, Italy
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36
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Joshi P, Turola E, Ruiz A, Bergami A, Libera DD, Benussi L, Giussani P, Magnani G, Comi G, Legname G, Ghidoni R, Furlan R, Matteoli M, Verderio C. Microglia convert aggregated amyloid-β into neurotoxic forms through the shedding of microvesicles. Cell Death Differ 2013; 21:582-93. [PMID: 24336048 DOI: 10.1038/cdd.2013.180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 195] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2013] [Revised: 10/15/2013] [Accepted: 10/30/2013] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by extracellular amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition, which activates microglia, induces neuroinflammation and drives neurodegeneration. Recent evidence indicates that soluble pre-fibrillar Aβ species, rather than insoluble fibrils, are the most toxic forms of Aβ. Preventing soluble Aβ formation represents, therefore, a major goal in AD. We investigated whether microvesicles (MVs) released extracellularly by reactive microglia may contribute to AD degeneration. We found that production of myeloid MVs, likely of microglial origin, is strikingly high in AD patients and in subjects with mild cognitive impairment and that AD MVs are toxic for cultured neurons. The mechanism responsible for MV neurotoxicity was defined in vitro using MVs produced by primary microglia. We demonstrated that neurotoxicity of MVs results from (i) the capability of MV lipids to promote formation of soluble Aβ species from extracellular insoluble aggregates and (ii) from the presence of neurotoxic Aβ forms trafficked to MVs after Aβ internalization into microglia. MV neurotoxicity was neutralized by the Aβ-interacting protein PrP and anti-Aβ antibodies, which prevented binding to neurons of neurotoxic soluble Aβ species. This study identifies microglia-derived MVs as a novel mechanism by which microglia participate in AD degeneration, and suggest new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Joshi
- 1] Department of Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milano, via Vanvitelli 32, Milano 20129, Italy [2] Department of Medicine, CNR Institute of Neuroscience, via Vanvitelli 32, Milano 20129, Italy
| | - E Turola
- 1] Department of Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milano, via Vanvitelli 32, Milano 20129, Italy [2] Department of Medicine, CNR Institute of Neuroscience, via Vanvitelli 32, Milano 20129, Italy
| | - A Ruiz
- Department of Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milano, via Vanvitelli 32, Milano 20129, Italy
| | - A Bergami
- INSPE, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, via Olgettina 60, Milano 20132, Italy
| | - D D Libera
- INSPE, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, via Olgettina 60, Milano 20132, Italy
| | - L Benussi
- Proteomics Unit, IRCCS Istituto centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, via Pilastroni, Brescia 4 25125, Italy
| | - P Giussani
- Department of Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milano, via Vanvitelli 32, Milano 20129, Italy
| | - G Magnani
- INSPE, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, via Olgettina 60, Milano 20132, Italy
| | - G Comi
- INSPE, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, via Olgettina 60, Milano 20132, Italy
| | - G Legname
- SISSA, Department of Neuroscience, Via Bonomea 265, Trieste I-34136, Italy
| | - R Ghidoni
- Proteomics Unit, IRCCS Istituto centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, via Pilastroni, Brescia 4 25125, Italy
| | - R Furlan
- INSPE, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, via Olgettina 60, Milano 20132, Italy
| | - M Matteoli
- 1] Department of Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milano, via Vanvitelli 32, Milano 20129, Italy [2] IRCCS Humanitas,via Manzoni 56, Rozzano 20089, Italy
| | - C Verderio
- 1] Department of Medicine, CNR Institute of Neuroscience, via Vanvitelli 32, Milano 20129, Italy [2] IRCCS Humanitas,via Manzoni 56, Rozzano 20089, Italy
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Luo YB, Johnsen RD, Griffiths L, Needham M, Fabian VA, Fletcher S, Wilton SD, Mastaglia FL. Primary over-expression of AβPP in muscle does not lead to the development of inclusion body myositis in a new lineage of the MCK-AβPP transgenic mouse. Int J Exp Pathol 2013; 94:418-25. [PMID: 24205796 PMCID: PMC3944453 DOI: 10.1111/iep.12048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2013] [Accepted: 07/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study is to determine whether primary over-expression of AβPP in skeletal muscle results in the development of features of inclusion body myositis (IBM) in a new lineage of the MCK-AβPP transgenic mouse. Quantitative histological, immunohistochemical and western blotting studies were performed on muscles from 3 to 18 month old transgenic and wild-type C57BL6/SJL mice. Electron microscopy was also performed on muscle sections from selected animals. Although western blotting confirmed that there was over-expression of full length AβPP in transgenic mouse muscles, deposition of amyloid-β and fibrillar amyloid could not be demonstrated histochemically or with electron microscopy. Additionally, other changes typical of IBM such as rimmed vacuoles, cytochrome C oxidase-deficient fibres, upregulation of MHC antigens, lymphocytic inflammatory infiltration and T cell fibre invasion were absent. The most prominent finding in both transgenic and wild-type animals was the presence of tubular aggregates which was age-related and largely restricted to male animals. Expression of full length AβPP in this MCK-AβPP mouse lineage did not reach the levels required for immunodetection or deposition of amyloid-β as in the original transgenic strains, and was not associated with the development of pathological features of IBM. These negative results emphasise the potential pitfalls of re-deriving transgenic mouse strains in different laboratories.
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MESH Headings
- Amyloid/metabolism
- Amyloid beta-Peptides/metabolism
- Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor/genetics
- Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor/metabolism
- Animals
- Creatine Kinase, MM Form/genetics
- Creatine Kinase, MM Form/metabolism
- Disease Models, Animal
- Female
- Genotype
- Male
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Transgenic
- Muscle, Skeletal/metabolism
- Muscle, Skeletal/pathology
- Muscle, Skeletal/ultrastructure
- Myositis, Inclusion Body/genetics
- Myositis, Inclusion Body/metabolism
- Transgenes/genetics
- Up-Regulation
- Vacuoles/ultrastructure
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue-Bei Luo
- Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, Australian Neuro-muscular Research Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
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Jellinger KA, Attems J. Neuropathological approaches to cerebral aging and neuroplasticity. DIALOGUES IN CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE 2013. [PMID: 23576887 PMCID: PMC3622466 DOI: 10.31887/dcns.2013.15.1/kjellinger] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Cerebral aging is a complex and heterogenous process related to a large variety of molecular changes involving multiple neuronal networks, due to alterations of neurons (synapses, axons, dendrites, etc), particularly affecting strategically important regions, such as hippocampus and prefrontal areas. A substantial proportion of nondemented, cognitively unimpaired elderly subjects show at least mild to moderate, and rarely even severe, Alzheimer-related lesions, probably representing asymptomatic preclinical Alzheimer's disease, and/or mixed pathologies. While the substrate of resilience to cognitive decline in the presence of abundant pathologies has been unclear, recent research has strengthened the concept of cognitive or brain reserve, based on neuroplasticity or the ability of the brain to manage or counteract age-related changes or pathologies by reorganizing its structure, connections, and functions via complex molecular pathways and mechanisms that are becoming increasingly better understood. Part of neuroplasticity is adult neurogenesis in specific areas of the brain, in particular the hippocampal formation important for memory function, the decline of which is common even in “healthy” aging. To obtain further insights into the mechanisms of brain plasticity and adult neurogenesis, as the basis for prevention and potential therapeutic options, is a major challenge of modern neurosciences.
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Montarolo F, Parolisi R, Hoxha E, Boda E, Tempia F. Early enriched environment exposure protects spatial memory and accelerates amyloid plaque formation in APP(Swe)/PS1(L166P) mice. PLoS One 2013; 8:e69381. [PMID: 23894463 PMCID: PMC3722266 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0069381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2013] [Accepted: 06/07/2013] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Enriched environment exposure improves several aspects of cognitive performance in Alzheimer’s disease patients and in animal models and, although the role of amyloid plaques is questionable, several studies also assessed their response to enriched environment, with contrasting results. Here we report that rearing APPSwe/PS1L166P mice in an enriched environment since birth rescued the spatial memory impairment otherwise present at 6 months of age. At the same time, the exposure to the enriched environment caused a transient acceleration of plaque formation, while there was no effect on intracellular staining with the 6E10 antibody, which recognizes β-amyloid, full length amyloid precursor protein and its C-terminal fragments. The anticipation of plaque formation required exposure during early development, suggesting an action within critical periods for circuits formation. On the other hand, chronic neuronal activity suppression by tetrodotoxin decreased the number of plaques without affecting intracellular amyloid. These results indicate that enriched environment exposure since early life has a protective effect on cognitive deterioration although transiently accelerates amyloid deposition. In addition, the effects of the enriched environment might be due to increased neuronal activity, because plaques were reduced by suppression of electrical signaling by tetrodotoxin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Montarolo
- Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), University of Torino, Orbassano (Torino), Italy
| | - Roberta Parolisi
- Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), University of Torino, Orbassano (Torino), Italy
| | - Eriola Hoxha
- Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), University of Torino, Orbassano (Torino), Italy
| | - Enrica Boda
- Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), University of Torino, Orbassano (Torino), Italy
| | - Filippo Tempia
- Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), University of Torino, Orbassano (Torino), Italy
- Department of Neuroscience and National Institute of Neuroscience-Italy (INN), University of Torino, Torino, Italy
- * E-mail:
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40
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Spike bursts increase amyloid-β 40/42 ratio by inducing a presenilin-1 conformational change. Nat Neurosci 2013; 16:587-95. [PMID: 23563578 DOI: 10.1038/nn.3376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2012] [Accepted: 02/26/2013] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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41
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Dong J, Zhou M, Wu X, Du M, Wang X. Memantine combined with environmental enrichment improves spatial memory and alleviates Alzheimer's disease-like pathology in senescence-accelerated prone-8 (SAMP8) mice. J Biomed Res 2012; 26:439-47. [PMID: 23554783 PMCID: PMC3597048 DOI: 10.7555/jbr.26.20120053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2012] [Revised: 06/25/2012] [Accepted: 07/29/2012] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Memantine is a N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist approved for the treatment of moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease (AD). Environmental enrichment (EE) has shown significant beneficial effects on functional improvement in AD. In this study, we sought to determine whether combining these two distinct therapies would yield greater benefit than either drug used alone. We investigated the effect of memantine combined with EE on spatial learning and memory and AD-like pathology in a widely used AD model, the senescence-accelerated prone mice (SAMP8). The SAMP8 mice were randomly assigned to enriched housing (EH) or standard housing (SH), where either memantine (20 mg/kg) or saline was given by gastric lavage once daily continuously for eight weeks. Our results showed that, when provided separately, memantine and EE significantly improved spatial learning and memory by shortening escape latencies and increasing the frequency of entrance into the target quadrant. When combined, memantine and EE showed additive effect on learning and memory as evidenced by significant shorter escape latencies and higher frequency of target entrance than either drug alone. Consistent with the behavior results, pathological studies showed that both memantine and EE significantly reduced hippocampal CA1 neurofibrilliary tangles (NFTs) as well as amyloid beta precursor protein (APP) levels. Combining both therapies synergistically lessened NFTs and APP expression compared to either drug alone in SAMP8 mice, indicating that the combination of memantine with EE could offer a novel and efficient therapeutic strategy for the treatment of AD.
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42
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Robertson IH. A noradrenergic theory of cognitive reserve: implications for Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiol Aging 2012; 34:298-308. [PMID: 22743090 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2012.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 162] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2012] [Revised: 05/24/2012] [Accepted: 05/27/2012] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The gap between symptoms and pathology in Alzheimer's disease has been explained by the hypothetical construct of "cognitive reserve"--a set of variables including education, intelligence, and mental stimulation which putatively allow the brain to adapt to-and hence mask--underlying pathologies by maintaining cognitive function despite underlying neural changes. This review proposes a hypothesis that a biological mechanism may mediate between these social/psychological processes on the one hand, and apparently reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease on the other, namely repeated activation of the noradrenergic system over a lifetime by the processes implicated in cognitive reserve. Noradrenaline's neuroprotective effects both in vivo and in vitro, and its key role in mediating the neuroprotective effects of environmental enrichment on the brain, make noradrenaline's key role in mediating cognitive reserve--by disease compensation, disease modification, or a combination of both--a viable hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian H Robertson
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience and School of Psychology, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.
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Lacaria M, Spencer C, Gu W, Paylor R, Lupski JR. Enriched rearing improves behavioral responses of an animal model for CNV-based autistic-like traits. Hum Mol Genet 2012; 21:3083-96. [PMID: 22492990 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/dds124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Potocki-Lupski syndrome (PTLS; MIM #610883), characterized by neurobehavioral abnormalities, intellectual disability and congenital anomalies, is caused by a 3.7-Mb duplication in 17p11.2. Neurobehavioral studies determined that ∼70-90% of PTLS subjects tested positive for autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We previously chromosomally engineered a mouse model for PTLS (Dp(11)17/+) with a duplication of a 2-Mb genomic interval syntenic to the PTLS region and identified consistent behavioral abnormalities in this mouse model. We now report extensive phenotyping with behavioral assays established to evaluate core and associated autistic-like traits, including tests for social abnormalities, ultrasonic vocalizations, perseverative and stereotypic behaviors, anxiety, learning and memory deficits and motor defects. Alterations were identified in both core and associated ASD-like traits. Rearing this animal model in an enriched environment mitigated some, and even rescued selected, neurobehavioral abnormalities, suggesting a role for gene-environment interactions in the determination of copy number variation-mediated autism severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Lacaria
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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44
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Probucol, a lipid-lowering drug, prevents cognitive and hippocampal synaptic impairments induced by amyloid β peptide in mice. Exp Neurol 2011; 233:767-75. [PMID: 22173317 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2011.11.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2011] [Revised: 11/17/2011] [Accepted: 11/25/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by synaptic loss and cognitive impairments. The presence of extracellular senile plaques (mainly composed of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide) is an important molecular hallmark in AD and neuronal damage has been attributed, at least in part, to Aβ-mediated toxicity. Although the molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of AD are not yet completely understood, several lines of evidence indicate that oxidative stress and cholesterol dyshomeostasis play crucial roles in mediating the synaptic loss and cognitive deficits observed in AD patients. This study evaluated the effects of Probucol, a phenolic lipid-lowering agent with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, on biochemical parameters related to oxidative stress and synaptic function (hippocampal glutathione and synaptophysin levels; glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and acetylcholinesterase activities; lipid peroxidation), as well as on behavioral parameters related to the cognitive function (displaced and new object recognition tasks) in Aβ-exposed mice. Animals were treated with a single intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of aggregated Aβ(1-40) (400 pmol/site) and, subsequently, received Probucol (10 mg/kg, i.p.) once a day, during the following 2 weeks. At the end of treatments, Aβ(1-40)-exposed animals showed a significant impairment on learning-memory ability, which was paralleled by a significant decrease in hippocampal synaptophysin levels, as well as by an increase in hippocampal acetylcholinesterase activity. Importantly, Probucol treatment blunted the deleterious effects of Aβ(1-40) on learning-memory ability and hippocampal biochemistry. Although Aβ(1-40) treatment did not change hippocampal glutathione levels and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione reductase (GR) activities, Aβ(1-40)-exposed animals showed increased hippocampal lipid peroxidation and this event was completely blunted by Probucol treatment. These findings reinforce and extend the notion of the hazardous effects of Aβ(1-40) toward hippocampal synaptic homeostasis and cognitive functions. In addition, the present results indicate that Probucol is able to counteract the cognitive and biochemical impairments induced by i.c.v. Aβ(1-40) administration in mice. The study is the first to report the protective effects of Probucol (a "non-statin cholesterol-lowering drug") against Aβ(1-40)-induced synaptic and behavioral impairments, rendering this compound a promising molecule for further pharmacological studies on the search for therapeutic strategies to treat or prevent AD.
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Herring A, Donath A, Yarmolenko M, Uslar E, Conzen C, Kanakis D, Bosma C, Worm K, Paulus W, Keyvani K. Exercise during pregnancy mitigates Alzheimer-like pathology in mouse offspring. FASEB J 2011; 26:117-28. [PMID: 21948247 DOI: 10.1096/fj.11-193193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Physical activity protects brain function in healthy individuals and those with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Evidence for beneficial effects of parental exercise on the health status of their progeny is sparse and limited to nondiseased individuals. Here, we questioned whether maternal running interferes with offspring's AD-like pathology and sought to decipher the underlying mechanisms in TgCRND8 mice. Maternal stimulation was provided by voluntary wheel running vs. standard housing during pregnancy. Following 5 mo of standard housing of transgenic and wild-type offspring, their brains were examined for AD-related pathology and/or plasticity changes. Running during pregnancy reduced β-amyloid (Aβ) plaque burden (-35%, P=0.017) and amyloidogenic APP processing in transgenic offspring and further improved the neurovascular function by orchestrating different Aβ transporters and increasing angiogenesis (+29%, P=0.022). This effect was accompanied by diminished inflammation, as indicated by reduced microgliosis (-20%, P=0.002) and down-regulation of other proinflammatory mediators, and resulted in less oxidative stress, as nitrotyrosine levels declined (-28%, P=0.029). Moreover, plasticity changes (in terms of up-regulation of reelin, synaptophysin, and ARC) were found not only in transgenic but also in wild-type offspring. We conclude that exercise during pregnancy provides long-lasting protection from neurodegeneration and improves brain plasticity in the otherwise unstimulated progeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arne Herring
- Institute of Pathology and Neuropathology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
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