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Burke K, Screven LA, Vicencio-Jimenez S, Lauer AM. Auditory brainstem response audiometry in tauopathy mouse model of human Alzheimer's disease. JASA EXPRESS LETTERS 2024; 4:071201. [PMID: 38980136 PMCID: PMC11240211 DOI: 10.1121/10.0026602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder in which changes in hearing sensitivity precede cognitive decline. Despite a well-known link between dementia and hearing loss, few AD model mouse lines have hearing characterized. We screened for hearing loss using auditory brainstem responses (ABR) in young (3-4 months) and aging (9-10 months) mice with a P301S tauopathy (PS19 mice). Compared to wild types, aging PS19 mice did not show accelerated hearing loss but did show latency differences in centrally generated ABR waveform components. These results suggest that tauopathy causes mild central auditory dysfunction in the absence of overt hearing loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kali Burke
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
| | - Laurel A Screven
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
| | - Sergio Vicencio-Jimenez
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
| | - Amanda M Lauer
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, ; ; ;
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Daudelin D, Westerhaus A, Zhang N, Leyder E, Savonenko A, Sockanathan S. Loss of GDE2 leads to complex behavioral changes including memory impairment. BEHAVIORAL AND BRAIN FUNCTIONS : BBF 2024; 20:7. [PMID: 38575965 PMCID: PMC10993612 DOI: 10.1186/s12993-024-00234-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alzheimer's disease (AD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/frontotemporal dementia (ALS/FTD) are debilitating neurodegenerative diseases for which there are currently no cures. Familial cases with known genetic causes make up less than 10% of these diseases, and little is known about the underlying mechanisms that contribute to sporadic disease. Accordingly, it is important to expand investigations into possible pathways that may contribute to disease pathophysiology. Glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase 2 (GDE2 or GDPD5) is a membrane-bound enzyme that acts at the cell surface to cleave the glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchor that tethers distinct proteins to the membrane. GDE2 abnormally accumulates in intracellular compartments in the brain of patients with AD, ALS, and ALS/FTD, indicative of GDE2 dysfunction. Mice lacking GDE2 (Gde2KO) show neurodegenerative changes such as neuronal loss, reduced synaptic proteins and synapse loss, and increased Aβ deposition, raising the possibility that GDE2 disruption in disease might contribute to disease pathophysiology. However, the effect of GDE2 loss on behavioral function and learning/memory has not been characterized. RESULTS Here, we show that GDE2 is expressed throughout the adult mouse brain in areas including the cortex, hippocampus, habenula, thalamus, and amygdala. Gde2KO and WT mice were tested in a set of behavioral tasks between 7 and 16 months of age. Compared to WT, Gde2KO mice display moderate hyperactivity that becomes more pronounced with age across a variety of behavioral tests assessing novelty-induced exploratory activity. Additionally, Gde2KO mice show reduced startle response, with females showing additional defects in prepulse inhibition. No changes in anxiety-associated behaviors were found, but Gde2KOs show reduced sociability. Notably, aged Gde2KO mice demonstrate impaired short/long-term spatial memory and cued fear memory/secondary contextual fear acquisition. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these observations suggest that loss of GDE2 leads to behavioral deficits, some of which are seen in neurodegenerative disease models, implying that loss of GDE2 may be an important contributor to phenotypes associated with neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Daudelin
- The Solomon Snyder Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, PCTB 1004, 725 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Anna Westerhaus
- The Solomon Snyder Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, PCTB 1004, 725 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Nan Zhang
- The Solomon Snyder Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, PCTB 1004, 725 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Erica Leyder
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 558 Ross Research Building, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Graduate Program in Life Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 655 W. Baltimore St., Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Alena Savonenko
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 558 Ross Research Building, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Sensory-Motor Neuroscience (SMN), Center for Scientific Review, ICN Review Branch, National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Suite 1010-F, Bethesda, MD, 20892 , USA.
| | - Shanthini Sockanathan
- The Solomon Snyder Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, PCTB 1004, 725 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
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Van Dam D, Valkenburg F, Van Kolen K, Pintelon I, Timmermans JP, De Deyn PP. Behavioral and Neuropathological Phenotyping of the Tau58/2 and Tau58/4 Transgenic Mouse Models for FTDP-17. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:2088. [PMID: 37895469 PMCID: PMC10608666 DOI: 10.3390/life13102088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Tau58/2 and Tau58/4 mouse lines expressing 0N4R tau with a P301S mutation mimic aspects of frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17). In a side-by-side comparison, we report the age-dependent development of cognitive, motor, and behavioral deficits in comparison with the spatial-temporal evolution of cellular tau pathology in both models. METHODS We applied the SHIRPA primary screen and specific neuromotor, behavioral, and cognitive paradigms. The spatiotemporal development of tau pathology was investigated immunohistochemically. Levels of sarkosyl-insoluble paired helical filaments were determined via a MesoScale Discovery biomarker assay. RESULTS Neuromotor impairments developed from age 3 months in both models. On electron microscopy, spinal cord neurofibrillary pathology was visible in mice aged 3 months; however, AT8 immunoreactivity was not yet observed in Tau58/4 mice. Behavioral abnormalities and memory deficits occurred at a later stage (>9 months) when tau pathology was fully disseminated throughout the brain. Spatiotemporally, tau pathology spread from the spinal cord via the midbrain to the frontal cortex, while the hippocampus was relatively spared, thus explaining the late onset of cognitive deficits. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate the face and construct validity of both Tau58 models, which may provide new, valuable insights into the pathologic effects of tau species in vivo and may consequently facilitate the development of new therapeutic targets to delay or halt neurodegenerative processes occurring in tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debby Van Dam
- Laboratory of Neurochemistry and Behavior, Experimental Neurobiology Unit, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium;
- Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Center Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Femke Valkenburg
- Laboratory of Neurochemistry and Behavior, Experimental Neurobiology Unit, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium;
| | - Kristof Van Kolen
- Neuroscience Department, Janssen Research and Development, 2340 Beerse, Belgium;
| | - Isabel Pintelon
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium; (I.P.); (J.-P.T.)
| | - Jean-Pierre Timmermans
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium; (I.P.); (J.-P.T.)
| | - Peter Paul De Deyn
- Laboratory of Neurochemistry and Behavior, Experimental Neurobiology Unit, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium;
- Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Center Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands
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van Hummel A, Taleski G, Sontag J, Feiten AF, Ke YD, Ittner LM, Sontag E. Methyl donor supplementation reduces phospho-Tau, Fyn and demethylated protein phosphatase 2A levels and mitigates learning and motor deficits in a mouse model of tauopathy. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2023; 49:e12931. [PMID: 37565253 PMCID: PMC10947299 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Reduced folate status and elevated levels of circulating homocysteine are modifiable risk factors for cognitive decline and dementia. Disturbances in one-carbon metabolism are associated with the pathological accumulation of phosphorylated tau, a hallmark feature of prevalent dementia, including Alzheimer's disease and subgroups of frontotemporal dementia. METHODS Here, using transgenic TAU58/2 mouse models of human tauopathy, we tested whether dietary supplementation with L-methylfolate (the active folate form), choline and betaine can reduce tau phosphorylation and associated behavioural phenotypes. RESULTS TAU58/2 mice fed with the methyl donor-enriched diet showed reduced phosphorylation of tau at the pathological S202 (CP13) and S396/S404 (PHF-1) epitopes and alleviation of associated motor and learning deficits. Compared with mice on the control diet, the decrease in cortical phosphorylated tau levels in mice fed with the methyl donor-enriched diet was associated with enhanced methylation of protein phosphatase 2A, the major brain tau Ser/Thr phosphatase. It also correlated with a reduction in protein levels of Fyn, a tau tyrosine kinase that plays a central role in mediating pathological tau-induced neurodegeneration. Conversely, Fyn expression levels were increased in mice with deficiencies in folate metabolism. CONCLUSIONS Our findings provide the first experimental evidence that boosting one-carbon metabolism with L-methylfolate, choline and betaine can mitigate key pathological, learning and motor deficits in a tauopathy mouse model. They give support to using a combination of methyl donors as a preventive or disease-modifying strategy for tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika van Hummel
- Dementia Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Goce Taleski
- School of Biomedical Sciences and PharmacyUniversity of NewcastleCallaghanNew South WalesAustralia
- Hunter Medical Research InstituteNew Lambton HeightsNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Jean‐Marie Sontag
- School of Biomedical Sciences and PharmacyUniversity of NewcastleCallaghanNew South WalesAustralia
- Hunter Medical Research InstituteNew Lambton HeightsNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Astrid Feentje Feiten
- Dementia Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Yazi D. Ke
- Dementia Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Lars M. Ittner
- Dementia Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Estelle Sontag
- School of Biomedical Sciences and PharmacyUniversity of NewcastleCallaghanNew South WalesAustralia
- Hunter Medical Research InstituteNew Lambton HeightsNew South WalesAustralia
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Lanooij SD, Eisel ULM, van der Zee EA, Kas MJH. Variation in Group Composition Alters an Early-Stage Social Phenotype in hAPP-Transgenic J20 Mice. J Alzheimers Dis 2023; 93:211-224. [PMID: 36970900 DOI: 10.3233/jad-221126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Altered social behavior is one of the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD) that results in social withdrawal and loneliness and provides a major burden on patients and their relatives. Furthermore, loneliness is associated with an increased risk to develop AD and related dementias. OBJECTIVE We aimed to investigate if altered social behavior is an early indicator of amyloid-β (Aβ) pathology in J20 mice, and if co-housing with wild type (WT) mice can positively influence this social phenotype. METHODS The social phenotype of group-housed mice was assessed using an automated behavioral scoring system for longitudinal recordings. Female mice were housed in a same-genotype (4 J20 or WT mice per colony) or mixed-genotype (2 J20 mice + 2 WT mice) colony. At 10 weeks of age, their behavior was assessed for five consecutive days. RESULTS J20 mice showed increased locomotor activity and social sniffing, and reduced social contact compared to WT mice housed in same-genotype colonies. Mixed-genotype housing reduced the social sniffing duration of J20 mice, increased social contact frequency of J20 mice, and increased nest hide by WT mice. CONCLUSION Thus, altered social behavior can be used as an early indicator of Aβ-pathology in female J20 mice. Additionally, when co-housed with WT mice, their social sniffing phenotype is not expressed and their social contact phenotype is reduced. Our findings highlight the presence of a social phenotype in the early stages of AD and indicate a role for social environment variation in the expression of social behavior of WT and J20 mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne D Lanooij
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Neurobiology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ulrich L M Eisel
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Neurobiology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Eddy A van der Zee
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Neurobiology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Martien J H Kas
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Neurobiology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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Visini G, Brown S, Weston-Green K, Shannon Weickert C, Chesworth R, Karl T. The effects of preventative cannabidiol in a male neuregulin 1 mouse model of schizophrenia. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:1010478. [PMID: 36406747 PMCID: PMC9669370 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.1010478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-intoxicating cannabinoid with antipsychotic-like properties, however it’s potential to prevent schizophrenia development has not been thoroughly investigated. Brain maturation during adolescence creates a window where CBD could potentially limit the development of schizophrenia. The neuregulin 1 transmembrane domain heterozygous (Nrg1 TM HET) mutant mouse shows face, predictive, and construct validity for schizophrenia. Here we sought to determine if CBD given in adolescence could prevent the development of the schizophrenia-relevant phenotype, as well as susceptibility to the psychoactive cannabinoid Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in Nrg1 TM HET mice. Adolescent male Nrg1 mutants and wild type-like (WT) animals were administered 30 mg/kg CBD i.p. daily for seven weeks, and were tested for locomotion, social behavior, sensorimotor gating and cognition, and sensitivity to acute THC-induced behaviors. GAD67, GluA1, and NMDAR1 protein levels were measured in the hippocampus, striatum, and prefrontal cortex. Chronic adolescent CBD increased locomotion in animals regardless of genotype, was anxiolytic, and increased social behavior when animals were tested for their acute THC response. CBD did not alleviate the schizophrenia-relevant hyperlocomotive phenotype of Nrg1 mutants, nor deficits in social behaviors. Nrg1 mutant mice treated with CBD and THC showed no habituation to a startle pulse, suggesting CBD increased vulnerability to the startle habituation-reducing effects of THC in mutant mice. CBD increased levels of GluA1, but reduced levels of GAD67 in the hippocampus of Nrg1 mutants. These results suggest adolescent CBD is not effective as a preventative of schizophrenia-relevant behavioral deficits in mutants and may actually contribute to pathological changes in the brain that increase sensitivity to THC in particular behavioral domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Visini
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia
| | - Samara Brown
- School of Medical, Indigenous and Health Sciences, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Katrina Weston-Green
- School of Medical, Indigenous and Health Sciences, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Rose Chesworth
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia
- *Correspondence: Rose Chesworth,
| | - Tim Karl
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Tim Karl,
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Tu J, Zhang H, Yang T, Liu Y, Kibreab S, Zhang Y, Gao L, Moses RE, O'Malley BW, Xiao J, Li X. Aging-associated REGγ proteasome decline predisposes to tauopathy. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102571. [PMID: 36209822 PMCID: PMC9647549 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The REGγ-20S proteasome is an ubiquitin- and ATP-independent degradation system, targeting selective substrates, possibly helping to regulate aging. The studies we report here demonstrate that aging-associated REGγ decline predisposes to decreasing tau turnover, as in a tauopathy. The REGγ proteasome promotes degradation of human and mouse tau, notably phosphorylated tau and toxic tau oligomers that shuttle between the cytoplasm and nuclei. REGγ-mediated proteasomal degradation of tau was validated in 3- to 12-month-old REGγ KO mice, REGγ KO;PS19 mice, and PS19 mice with forebrain conditional neuron-specific overexpression of REGγ (REGγ OE) and behavioral abnormalities. Coupled with tau accumulation, we found with REGγ-deficiency, neuron loss, dendrite reduction, tau filament accumulation, and microglial activation are much more prominent in the REGγ KO;PS19 than the PS19 model. Moreover, we observed that the degenerative neuronal lesions and aberrant behaviors were alleviated in REGγ OE;PS19 mice. Memory and other behavior analysis substantiate the role of REGγ in prevention of tauopathy-like symptoms. In addition, we investigated the potential mechanism underlying aging-related REGγ decline. This study provides valuable insights into the novel regulatory mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets for tau-related neurodegenerative diseases.
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Zaki MO, El-Desouky S, Elsherbiny DA, Salama M, Azab SS. Glimepiride mitigates tauopathy and neuroinflammation in P301S transgenic mice: role of AKT/GSK3β signaling. Inflammopharmacology 2022; 30:1871-1890. [PMID: 35922737 PMCID: PMC9499917 DOI: 10.1007/s10787-022-01023-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Tauopathy is a group of neurodegenerative diseases in which the pathogenesis processes are related to tau protein. The imbalances between the activities of kinases and phosphatases of tau protein lead to tau hyperphosphorylation and subsequent neurodegeneration. Numerous studies suggest a strong linkage between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) and neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, finding a drug with a dual therapeutic activity against T2D and neuroprotective will be a promising idea. Hence, the potential neuroprotective effect of Glimepiride (GPD) against tauopathy was evaluated in the current study. METHODS P301S mice model was employed for tauopathy and C57BL/6 wild type mice (WT) was used as control. Phosphorylated and acetylated tau protein levels was assessed in cortex and hippocampus by western blot. Effect of GPD on tauopathy related enzymes, neuroinflammation, apoptotic markers were evaluated. Furthermore, the neuroprotective effects against anxiety like behavior and motor impairment was analyzed using Parallel rod floor and Open field tests. RESULTS GPD significantly ameliorates motor impairment, anxiety like behavior and neurodegeneration in P301S mice. Phosphorylated tau and acetylated tau were significantly decreased in both cortex and hippocampus of P301S mice via decreasing GSK3β, increasing ratio of phosphorylated-AKT to total-AKT, increasing PP2A and normalization of CDK5 levels. Furthermore, GPD treatment also decreased neuroinflammation and apoptosis by reducing NF-kB, TNF-α and caspase 3 levels. CONCLUSION The current data suggests that GPD exerts a protective effect against tauopathy, behavioural consequences, neurodegeneration, neuroinflammation and apoptosis. GPD is therefore a promising agent for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases associated with tauopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mennatallah O Zaki
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Horus University, New Damietta, Egypt
| | - S El-Desouky
- Medical Experimental Research Center (MERC), Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Doaa A Elsherbiny
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Cairo, 11566, Egypt
| | - Mohamed Salama
- Medical Experimental Research Center (MERC), Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.,Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology, The American University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Samar S Azab
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Cairo, 11566, Egypt.
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Tag SH, Kim B, Bae J, Chang KA, Im HI. Neuropathological and behavioral features of an APP/PS1/MAPT (6xTg) transgenic model of Alzheimer’s disease. Mol Brain 2022; 15:51. [PMID: 35676711 PMCID: PMC9175339 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-022-00933-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease is associated with various brain dysfunctions, including memory impairment, neuronal loss, astrocyte activation, amyloid-β plaques, and neurofibrillary tangles. Transgenic animal models of Alzheimer's disease have proven to be invaluable for the basic research of Alzheimer's disease. However, Alzheimer's disease mouse models developed so far do not fully recapitulate the pathological and behavioral features reminiscent of Alzheimer's disease in humans. Here, we investigated the neurobehavioral sequelae in the novel 6xTg mouse model of Alzheimer's disease, which was developed by incorporating human tau containing P301L mutation in the widely used 5xFAD mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. At 11-months-old, 6xTg mice displayed the core pathological processes found in Alzheimer's disease, including accumulation of amyloid-β plaque, extensive neuronal loss, elevated level of astrocyte activation, and abnormal tau phosphorylation in the brain. At 9 to 11-months-old, 6xTg mice exhibited both cognitive and non-cognitive behavioral impairments relevant to Alzheimer’s disease, including memory loss, hyperlocomotion, anxiety-like behavior, depression-like behavior, and reduced sensorimotor gating. Our data suggest that the aged 6xTg mouse model of Alzheimer's disease presents pathological and cognitive-behavioral features reminiscent of Alzheimer's disease in humans. Thus, the 6xTg mouse model of Alzheimer's disease may be a valuable model for studying Alzheimer’s disease-relevant non-cognitive behaviors.
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Kreilaus F, Przybyla M, Ittner L, Karl T. Cannabidiol (CBD) treatment improves spatial memory in 14-month-old female TAU58/2 transgenic mice. Behav Brain Res 2022; 425:113812. [PMID: 35202719 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.113812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2021] [Revised: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) share the pathological hallmark of intracellular neurofibrillary tangles, which result from the hyperphosphorylation of microtubule associated protein tau. The P301S mutation in human tau carried by TAU58/2 transgenic mice results in brain pathology and behavioural deficits relevant to FTD and AD. The phytocannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) exhibits properties beneficial for multiple pathological processes evident in dementia. Therefore, 14-month-old female TAU58/2 transgenic and wild type-like (WT) littermates were treated with 100mg/kg CBD or vehicle i.p. starting three weeks prior to conducting behavioural paradigms relevant to FTD and AD. TAU58/2 females exhibited impaired motor function, reduced bodyweight and less anxiety behaviour compared to WT. An impaired spatial reference memory of vehicle-treated transgenic mice were restored by chronic CBD treatment. Chronic CBD also reduced anxiety-like behaviors and decreased contextual fear-associated freezing in all mice. Chronic remedial CBD treatment ameliorated several disease-relevant phenotypes in 14-month-old TAU58/2 transgenic mice, suggesting potential for the treatment of tauopathy-related behavioural impairments including cognitive deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Kreilaus
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, NSW 2560, Australia
| | - Magdalena Przybyla
- Dementia Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Lars Ittner
- Dementia Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Tim Karl
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, NSW 2560, Australia; Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), NSW 2031, Australia; School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, NSW 2052, Australia.
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Cummings JL. Translational Scoring of Candidate Treatments for Alzheimer's Disease: A Systematic Approach. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 2021; 49:22-37. [PMID: 32512572 DOI: 10.1159/000507569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There are many failures in treatment development for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Some of these failures are the result of development programs that lacked critical information about candidate drugs as these were advanced from one phase of development to the next. Translational scoring (TS) has been proposed as a means of increasing the rigor with which treatment development programs are executed. Previously, these approaches were not specific to AD or to the phase of drug development. Detailed information on the characteristics needed to advance a candidate agent from one phase to the next is the basis for success in subsequent phases. SUMMARY The TS approach is presented with a score range of 0-25 for agents entering phases 1, 2, and 3 of development and those that have completed phase 3 and are being considered for regulatory review. Each phase has 5 essential categories scored from 0-5 indicating the completeness of the data available when the agent is being considered for promotion to the next phase. Lower scores suggest that the development program should be reexamined for missing information while higher scores increase the confidence that the agent has the potential to succeed in the next phase. Scoring guidelines are provided and examples of scores for drugs in recent development programs are provided to illustrate the principles of TS. Key Messages: Successful development of drugs for AD treatment requires disciplined informed decision-making at each phase of development. TS is a methodology for more rigorous drug development to help ensure that inadequately characterized drugs are not advanced and that the development platform at each phase is optimal to support success at the next phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey L Cummings
- Department of Brain Health, School of Integrated Health Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, .,Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA,
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Watt G, Chesworth R, Przybyla M, Ittner A, Garner B, Ittner LM, Karl T. Chronic cannabidiol (CBD) treatment did not exhibit beneficial effects in 4-month-old male TAU58/2 transgenic mice. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2020; 196:172970. [PMID: 32562718 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2020.172970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive cognitive decline, motor impairments, and accumulation of hallmark proteins, amyloid-beta (Aβ) and tau. Traditionally, transgenic mouse models for AD have focused on Aβ pathology, however, recently a number of tauopathy transgenic models have been developed, including the TAU58/2 transgenic model. Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-toxic constituent of the Cannabis sativa plant, has been shown to prevent and reverse cognitive deficits in Aβ transgenic mouse models of AD. Importantly, the therapeutic properties of CBD on the behavioural phenotype of tauopathy mouse models have not been investigated. We assessed the impact of chronic CBD treatment (i.e. 50 mg/kg CBD i.p. administration starting 3 weeks prior to behavioural assessments) on disease-relevant behaviours of 4-month-old TAU58/2 transgenic males in paradigms for anxiety, motor functions, and cognition. TAU58/2 transgenic males demonstrated reduced body weight, anxiety and impaired motor functions. Furthermore, they demonstrated increased freezing in fear conditioning compared to wild type-like animals. Interestingly, both sociability and social recognition memory were intact in AD transgenic mice. Chronic CBD treatment did not affect behavioural changes in transgenic males. In summary, 4-month-old TAU58/2 transgenic males exhibited no deficits in social recognition memory, suggesting that motor deficits and changes in anxiety at this age do not impact on social domains. The moderate increase in fear-associated memory needs further investigation but could be related to differences in fear extinction. Future investigations will need to clarify CBD's therapeutic potential for reversing motor deficits in TAU58/2 transgenic mice by considering alternative CBD treatment designs including changed CBD dosing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgia Watt
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, Australia
| | - Rose Chesworth
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, Australia
| | - Magdalena Przybyla
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Australia
| | - Arne Ittner
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Australia
| | - Brett Garner
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Australia
| | - Lars M Ittner
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Australia
| | - Tim Karl
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, Australia; Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), Randwick, Australia.
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