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Rigby Dames BA, Kilili H, Charvet CJ, Díaz-Barba K, Proulx MJ, de Sousa AA, Urrutia AO. Evolutionary and genomic perspectives of brain aging and neurodegenerative diseases. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2023; 275:165-215. [PMID: 36841568 PMCID: PMC11191546 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2022.10.004] [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] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
This chapter utilizes genomic concepts and evolutionary perspectives to further understand the possible links between typical brain aging and neurodegenerative diseases, focusing on the two most prevalent of these: Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Aging is the major risk factor for these neurodegenerative diseases. Researching the evolutionary and molecular underpinnings of aging helps to reveal elements of the typical aging process that leave individuals more vulnerable to neurodegenerative pathologies. Very little is known about the prevalence and susceptibility of neurodegenerative diseases in nonhuman species, as only a few individuals have been observed with these neuropathologies. However, several studies have investigated the evolution of lifespan, which is closely connected with brain size in mammals, and insights can be drawn from these to enrich our understanding of neurodegeneration. This chapter explores the relationship between the typical aging process and the events in neurodegeneration. First, we examined how age-related processes can increase susceptibility to neurodegenerative diseases. Second, we assessed to what extent neurodegeneration is an accelerated form of aging. We found that while at the phenotypic level both neurodegenerative diseases and the typical aging process share some characteristics, at the molecular level they show some distinctions in their profiles, such as variation in genes and gene expression. Furthermore, neurodegeneration of the brain is associated with an earlier onset of cellular, molecular, and structural age-related changes. In conclusion, a more integrative view of the aging process, both from a molecular and an evolutionary perspective, may increase our understanding of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brier A Rigby Dames
- Department of Computer Science, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom; Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom.
| | - Huseyin Kilili
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Christine J Charvet
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - Karina Díaz-Barba
- Licenciatura en Ciencias Genómicas, UNAM, CP62210, Cuernavaca, México; Instituto de Ecología, UNAM, Ciudad Universitaria, CP04510, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Michael J Proulx
- Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | | | - Araxi O Urrutia
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom; Licenciatura en Ciencias Genómicas, UNAM, CP62210, Cuernavaca, México; Instituto de Ecología, UNAM, Ciudad Universitaria, CP04510, Ciudad de México, México.
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Modulation of nigral dopamine signaling mitigates parkinsonian signs of aging: evidence from intervention with calorie restriction or inhibition of dopamine uptake. GeroScience 2023; 45:45-63. [PMID: 35635679 PMCID: PMC9886753 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-022-00583-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Identifying neurobiological mechanisms of aging-related parkinsonism, and lifestyle interventions that mitigate them, remain critical knowledge gaps. No aging study, from rodent to human, has reported loss of any dopamine (DA) signaling marker near the magnitude associated with onset of parkinsonian signs in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, in substantia nigra (SN), similar loss of DA signaling markers in PD or aging coincide with parkinsonian signs. Alleviation of these parkinsonian signs may be possible by interventions such as calorie restriction (CR), which augment DA signaling markers like tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression in the SN, but not striatum. Here, we interrogated respective contributions of nigral and striatal DA mechanisms to aging-related parkinsonian signs in aging (18 months old) rats in two studies: by the imposition of CR for 6 months, and inhibition of DA uptake within the SN or striatum by cannula-directed infusion of nomifensine. Parkinsonian signs were mitigated within 12 weeks after CR and maintained until 24 months old, commensurate with increased D1 receptor expression in the SN alone, and increased GDNF family receptor, GFR-α1, in the striatum, suggesting increased GDNF signaling. Nomifensine infusion into the SN or striatum selectively increased extracellular DA. However, only nigral infusion increased locomotor activity. These results indicate mechanisms that increase components of DA signaling in the SN alone mitigate parkinsonian signs in aging, and are modifiable by interventions, like CR, to offset parkinsonian signs, even at advanced age. Moreover, these results give evidence that changes in nigral DA signaling may modulate some parameters of locomotor activity autonomously from striatal DA signaling.
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Ghasemian-Shirvan E, Ungureanu R, Melo L, van Dun K, Kuo MF, Nitsche MA, Meesen RLJ. Optimizing the Effect of tDCS on Motor Sequence Learning in the Elderly. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13010137. [PMID: 36672118 PMCID: PMC9857096 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13010137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the most visible effects of aging, even in healthy, normal aging, is a decline in motor performance. The range of strategies applicable to counteract this deterioration has increased. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a non-invasive brain stimulation technique that can promote neuroplasticity, has recently gained attention. However, knowledge about optimized tDCS parameters in the elderly is limited. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the effect of different anodal tDCS intensities on motor sequence learning in the elderly. Over the course of four sessions, 25 healthy older adults (over 65 years old) completed the Serial Reaction Time Task (SRTT) while receiving 1, 2, or 3 mA of anodal or sham stimulation over the primary motor cortex (M1). Additionally, 24 h after stimulation, motor memory consolidation was assessed. The results confirmed that motor sequence learning in all tDCS conditions was maintained the following day. While increased anodal stimulation intensity over M1 showed longer lasting excitability enhancement in the elderly in a prior study, the combination of higher intensity stimulation with an implicit motor learning task showed no significant effect. Future research should focus on the reason behind this lack of effect and probe alternative stimulation protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ensiyeh Ghasemian-Shirvan
- Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, Leibniz Research Center for Working Environment and Human Factors, 44139 Dortmund, Germany
- International Graduate School of Neuroscience, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany
- Neuroplasticity and Movement Control Research Group, REVAL Rehabilitation Research Center, REVAL, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Hasselt University, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Ruxandra Ungureanu
- Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, Leibniz Research Center for Working Environment and Human Factors, 44139 Dortmund, Germany
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Lorena Melo
- Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, Leibniz Research Center for Working Environment and Human Factors, 44139 Dortmund, Germany
- International Graduate School of Neuroscience, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany
| | - Kim van Dun
- Neuroplasticity and Movement Control Research Group, REVAL Rehabilitation Research Center, REVAL, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Hasselt University, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Min-Fang Kuo
- Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, Leibniz Research Center for Working Environment and Human Factors, 44139 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Michael A. Nitsche
- Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, Leibniz Research Center for Working Environment and Human Factors, 44139 Dortmund, Germany
- University Clinic of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and University Clinic of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Protestant Hospital of Bethel Foundation, University Hospital OWL, Bielefeld University, 33617 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Raf L. J. Meesen
- Neuroplasticity and Movement Control Research Group, REVAL Rehabilitation Research Center, REVAL, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Hasselt University, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
- Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
- Correspondence:
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Golub EM, Conner B, Edwards M, Gilllis L, Lacreuse A. Potential trade-off between olfactory and visual discrimination learning in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus): Implications for the assessment of age-related cognitive decline. Am J Primatol 2022; 84:e23427. [PMID: 35942572 PMCID: PMC9444974 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23427] [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: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Olfactory dysfunction has been identified as an early biomarker for dementia risk but has rarely been assessed in nonhuman primate models of human aging. To better characterize common marmosets as such models, we assessed olfactory discrimination performance in a sample of 10 animals (5 females), aged 2.5-8.9 years old. The monkeys were proficient in the discrimination and reversal of visual stimuli but naïve to odor stimuli. For olfactory discrimination, the monkeys performed a series of six discriminations of increasing difficulty between two odor stimuli. We found no evidence for an age-related decline as both young and older individuals were able to perform the discriminations in roughly the same number of trials. In addition, the older monkeys had faster responses than the younger animals. However, we noted that when adjusted for age, the speed of acquisition of the first discrimination in the olfactory modality was inversely correlated to the speed of acquisition of their first discrimination of two visual stimuli months earlier. These results suggest that marmosets may compensate for sensory deficits in one modality with higher sensory performance in another. These data have broad implications for the assessment of age-related cognitive decline and the categorization of animals as impaired or nonimpaired.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bryce Conner
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst MA
| | - Mélise Edwards
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst MA
| | - Lacey Gilllis
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst MA
| | - Agnès Lacreuse
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst MA
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst MA
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5
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Ghasemian-Shirvan E, Mosayebi-Samani M, Farnad L, Kuo MF, Meesen RL, Nitsche MA. Age-dependent non-linear neuroplastic effects of cathodal tDCS in the elderly population; a titration study. Brain Stimul 2022; 15:296-305. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2022.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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Rothwell ES, Workman KP, Wang D, Lacreuse A. Sex differences in cognitive aging: a 4-year longitudinal study in marmosets. Neurobiol Aging 2022; 109:88-99. [PMID: 34700200 PMCID: PMC8841951 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2021.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Longitudinal studies are essential to understand healthy and pathological neurocognitive aging such as Alzheimer's Disease, but longitudinal designs are rare in both humans and non-human primate models of aging because of the difficulty of tracking cognitive change in long-lived primates. Common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) are uniquely suited for aging studies due to their naturally short lifespan (10-12 years), sophisticated cognitive and social abilities and Alzheimer Disease-like neuropathology. We report the first longitudinal study of cognitive aging in marmosets (N = 28) as they transitioned from middle- (∼5 years) to old age (∼9 years). We characterized aging trajectories using reversal learning with different stimuli each year. Marmosets initially improved on cognitive performance due to practice, but worsened in the final year, suggesting the onset of age-related decline. Cognitive impairment emerged earlier in females than males and was more prominent for discrimination than for reversal learning. Sex differences in cognitive aging could not be explained by differences in motivation or motor abilities, which improved or remained stable across aging. Likewise, males and females did not differ in aging trajectories of overall behavior or reactivity to a social stressor, with the exception of a progressive decline in the initiation of social behavior in females. Patterns of cognitive aging were highly variable across marmosets of both sexes, suggesting the potential for pathological aging for some individuals. Future work will link individual cognitive trajectories to neuropathology in order to better understand the relationships between neuropathologic burden and vulnerability to age-related cognitive decline in each sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily S. Rothwell
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA,Corresponding author:
| | - Kathryn P. Workman
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Dongwei Wang
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Agnès Lacreuse
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA,Neuroscience & Behavior Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
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7
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Li M, Li Y, Jin J, Yang Z, Zhang B, Liu Y, Song M, Freakly C, Weber E, Liu F, Jiang T, Crozier S. A dedicated eight-channel receive RF coil array for monkey brain MRI at 9.4 T. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2020; 33:e4369. [PMID: 32729642 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Revised: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The neuroimaging of nonhuman primates (NHPs) realised with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays an important role in understanding brain structures and functions, as well as neurodegenerative diseases and pathological disorders. Theoretically, an ultrahigh field MRI (≥7 T) is capable of providing a higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for better resolution; however, the lack of appropriate radiofrequency (RF) coils for 9.4 T monkey MRI undermines the benefits provided by a higher field strength. In particular, the standard volume birdcage coil at 9.4 T generates typical destructive interferences in the periphery of the brain, which reduces the SNR in the neuroscience-focused cortex region. Also, the standard birdcage coil is not capable of performing parallel imaging. Consequently, extended scan durations may cause unnecessary damage due to overlong anaesthesia. In this work, assisted by numerical simulations, an eight-channel receive RF coil array was specially designed and manufactured for imaging NHPs at 9.4 T. The structure and geometry of the proposed receive array was optimised with numerical simulations, so that the SNR enhancement region was particularly focused on monkey brain. Validated with rhesus monkey and cynomolgus monkey brain images acquired from a 9.4 T MRI scanner, the proposed receive array outperformed standard birdcage coil with higher SNR, mean diffusivity and fractional anisotropy values, as well as providing better capability for parallel imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingyan Li
- School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Yu Li
- School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jin Jin
- School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Siemens Healthcare Pty. Ltd., Bowen Hills QLD, 4006, Australia
| | - Zhengyi Yang
- School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Baogui Zhang
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yanyan Liu
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ming Song
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Craig Freakly
- School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Ewald Weber
- School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Feng Liu
- School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Tianzi Jiang
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Stuart Crozier
- School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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8
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Diederich NJ, Uchihara T, Grillner S, Goetz CG. The Evolution-Driven Signature of Parkinson's Disease. Trends Neurosci 2020; 43:475-492. [PMID: 32499047 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2020.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
In this review, we approach Parkinson's disease (PD) in the context of an evolutionary mismatch of central nervous system functions. The neurons at risk have hyperbranched axons, extensive transmitter release sites, display spontaneous spiking, and elevated mitochondrial stress. They function in networks largely unchanged throughout vertebrate evolution, but now connecting to the expanded human cortex. Their breakdown is favoured by longevity. At the cellular level, mitochondrial dysfunction starts at the synapses, then involves axons and cell bodies. At the behavioural level, network dysfunctions provoke the core motor syndrome of parkinsonism including freezing and failed gait automatization, and non-motor deficits including inactive blindsight and autonomic dysregulation. The proposed evolutionary re-interpretation of PD-prone cellular phenotypes and of prototypical clinical symptoms allows a new conceptual framework for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nico J Diederich
- Department of Neurosciences, Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg, L-1210 Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.
| | - Toshiki Uchihara
- Neurology Clinic with Neuromorphomics Laboratory, Nitobe-Memorial Nakano General Hospital, Tokyo 164-8607, Japan; Department of Neurology and Neurological Science, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan
| | - Sten Grillner
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, SE-17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Christopher G Goetz
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
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He B, Yang Z, Fan L, Gao B, Li H, Ye C, You B, Jiang T. MonkeyCBP: A Toolbox for Connectivity-Based Parcellation of Monkey Brain. Front Neuroinform 2020; 14:14. [PMID: 32410977 PMCID: PMC7198896 DOI: 10.3389/fninf.2020.00014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-human primate models are widely used in studying the brain mechanism underlying brain development, cognitive functions, and psychiatric disorders. Neuroimaging techniques, such as magnetic resonance imaging, play an important role in the examinations of brain structure and functions. As an indispensable tool for brain imaging data analysis, brain atlases have been extensively investigated, and a variety of versions constructed. These atlases diverge in the criteria based on which they are plotted. The criteria range from cytoarchitectonic features, neurotransmitter receptor distributions, myelination fingerprints, and transcriptomic patterns to structural and functional connectomic profiles. Among them, brainnetome atlas is tightly related to brain connectome information and built by parcellating the brain on the basis of the anatomical connectivity profiles derived from structural neuroimaging data. The pipeline for building the brainnetome atlas has been published as a toolbox named ATPP (A Pipeline for Automatic Tractography-Based Brain Parcellation). In this paper, we present a variation of ATPP, which is dedicated to monkey brain parcellation, to address the significant differences in the process between the two species. The new toolbox, MonkeyCBP, has major alterations in three aspects: brain extraction, image registration, and validity indices. By parcellating two different brain regions (posterior cingulate cortex) and (frontal pole) of the rhesus monkey, we demonstrate the efficacy of these alterations. The toolbox has been made public (https://github.com/bheAI/MonkeyCBP_CLI, https://github.com/bheAI/MonkeyCBP_GUI). It is expected that the toolbox can benefit the non-human primate neuroimaging community with high-throughput computation and low labor involvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin He
- School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Harbin University of Science and Technology, Harbin, China
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhengyi Yang
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lingzhong Fan
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bin Gao
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hai Li
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chuyang Ye
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bo You
- School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Harbin University of Science and Technology, Harbin, China
| | - Tianzi Jiang
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
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Moore TL, Bowley BGE, Pessina MA, Calderazzo SM, Medalla M, Go V, Zhang ZG, Chopp M, Finklestein S, Harbaugh AG, Rosene DL, Buller B. Mesenchymal derived exosomes enhance recovery of motor function in a monkey model of cortical injury. Restor Neurol Neurosci 2020; 37:347-362. [PMID: 31282441 DOI: 10.3233/rnn-190910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exosomes from mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are endosome-derived vesicles that have been shown to enhance functional recovery in rodent models of stroke. OBJECTIVE Building on these findings, we tested exosomes as a treatment in monkeys with cortical injury. METHODS After being trained on a task of fine motor function of the hand, monkeys received a cortical injury to the hand representation in primary motor cortex. Twenty-four hours later and again 14 days after injury, monkeys received exosomes or vehicle control. Recovery of motor function was followed for 12 weeks. RESULTS Compared to monkeys that received vehicle, exosome treated monkeys returned to pre-operative grasp patterns and latency to retrieve a food reward in the first three-five weeks of recovery. CONCLUSIONS These results provide evidence that in monkeys exosomes delivered after cortical injury enhance recovery of motor function.
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Affiliation(s)
- T L Moore
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA
| | - B G E Bowley
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA
| | - M A Pessina
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA
| | - S M Calderazzo
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA
| | - M Medalla
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA
| | - V Go
- Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Z G Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Henry Ford Health Systems, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - M Chopp
- Department of Neurology, Henry Ford Health Systems, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - S Finklestein
- Stemetix, Inc. Needham, MA, USA.,Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - A G Harbaugh
- Department Mathematics & Statistics, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - D L Rosene
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA
| | - B Buller
- Department of Neurology, Henry Ford Health Systems, Detroit, MI, USA
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11
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Deng W, Guan G, Xiao C, Qu G, Xue J, Qin C, Han H, Wang Y. Construction of a comprehensive observer-based scale assessing aging-related health and functioning in captive rhesus macaques. Aging (Albany NY) 2019; 11:6892-6903. [PMID: 31498777 PMCID: PMC6756902 DOI: 10.18632/aging.102219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Aging-related health and functioning are difficult to quantify in humans and nonhuman primates. We constructed an observer-based scale for daily application in assessing the aging-related health and functioning of rhesus macaques. Ten items referring to an aging appearance, musculoskeletal aging and aging-related eating behavior were selected through a panel consensus. The Aging-related Health and Functioning Scale (AHFS) was constructed based on these scored items form 57 healthy rhesus macaques. High reliability of the AHFS was shown based on Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (0.877). The structure of the AHFS was validated by three exploratory factors. The largest factor, whose four components were dietary uptake, iliac muscle mass, hair condition and fragility, and sex, explained 50.5% of the variation in aging-related health and functioning scores. The second factor, involving age, tooth loss and tooth wear, explained 15.5% of the variation. The lowest-ranking factor comprised only facial redness and accounted for 10% of the variation. A hierarchical cluster analysis validated the good applicability of the scale in distinct samples. From these scale-scored results, complicated aging phenomena observed in humans, including the sex-survival paradox and the calorie-related health-survival paradox, were both demonstrated in rhesus macaques. Therefore, the AHFS provides a valuable approach for aging-related research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Deng
- Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Chinese Ministry of Health, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Guoying Guan
- Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Chong Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Chinese Ministry of Health, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Guangjin Qu
- Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Jing Xue
- Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Chinese Ministry of Health, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Chuan Qin
- Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Chinese Ministry of Health, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Hui Han
- Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Yuhong Wang
- Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
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12
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Workman KP, Healey B, Carlotto A, Lacreuse A. One-year change in cognitive flexibility and fine motor function in middle-aged male and female marmosets (Callithrix jacchus). Am J Primatol 2018; 81:e22924. [PMID: 30281810 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Revised: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 09/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) is uniquely suited for longitudinal studies of cognitive aging, due to a relatively short lifespan, sophisticated cognitive abilities, and patterns of brain aging that resemble those of humans. We examined cognitive function and fine motor skills in male and female marmosets (mean age ∼5 at study entry) followed longitudinally for 2 years. Each year, monkeys were tested on a reversal learning task with three pairs of stimuli (n = 18, 9 females) and a fine motor task requiring them to grasp small rewards from two staircases (Hill and Valley test, n = 12, 6 females). There was little evidence for a decline in cognitive flexibility between the two time points, in part because of practice effects. However, independent of year of testing, females took longer than males to reach criterion in the reversals, indicating impaired cognitive flexibility. Motivation was unlikely to contribute to this effect, as males refused a greater percentage of trials than females in the reversals. With regards to motor function, females were significantly faster than males in the Hill and Valley task. From Year 1 to Year 2, a slight slowing of motor function was observed in both sexes, but accuracy decreased significantly in males only. This study (1) demonstrates that marmosets exhibit sex differences in cognitive flexibility and fine motor function that resemble those described in humans; (2) that changes in fine motor function can already be detected at middle-age; and (3) that males may experience greater age-related changes in fine motor skills than females. Additional data points will determine whether these sex and age differences persist over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn P Workman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts
| | - Brianna Healey
- Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts
| | - Alyssa Carlotto
- Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts
| | - Agnès Lacreuse
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts.,Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts.,Center for Neuroendocrine Studies, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts
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13
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Moore TL, Bowley BGE, Shultz PL, Calderazzo SM, Shobin EJ, Uprety AR, Rosene DL, Moss MB. Oral curcumin supplementation improves fine motor function in the middle-aged rhesus monkey. Somatosens Mot Res 2018; 35:1-10. [PMID: 29447046 DOI: 10.1080/08990220.2018.1432481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Aged individuals experience decreased fine motor function of the hand and digits, which could result, in part, from the chronic, systemic state of inflammation that occurs with aging. Recent research for treating age-related inflammation has focused on the effects of nutraceuticals that have anti-inflammatory properties. One particular dietary polyphenol, curcumin, the principal curcuminoid of the spice turmeric, has been shown to have significant anti-inflammatory effects and there is mounting evidence that curcumin may serve to reduce systemic inflammation. Therefore, it could be useful for alleviating age-related impairments in fine motor function. To test this hypothesis we assessed the efficacy of a dietary intervention with a commercially available optimized curcumin to ameliorate or delay the effects of aging on fine motor function of the hand of rhesus monkeys. We administered oral daily doses of curcumin or a control vehicle to 11 monkeys over a 14- to 18-month period in which they completed two rounds of fine motor function testing. The monkeys receiving curcumin were significantly faster at retrieving a food reward by round 2 of testing than monkeys receiving a control vehicle. Further, the monkeys receiving curcumin demonstrated a greater degree of improvement in performance on our fine motor task by round 2 of testing than monkeys receiving a control vehicle. These findings reveal that fine motor function of the hand and digits is improved in middle-aged monkeys receiving chronic daily administration of curcumin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara L Moore
- a Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology , Boston University School of Medicine , Boston , MA , USA.,b Department of Neurology , Boston University School of Medicine , Boston , MA , USA
| | - Bethany G E Bowley
- a Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology , Boston University School of Medicine , Boston , MA , USA
| | - Penny L Shultz
- a Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology , Boston University School of Medicine , Boston , MA , USA
| | - Samantha M Calderazzo
- a Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology , Boston University School of Medicine , Boston , MA , USA
| | - Eli J Shobin
- a Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology , Boston University School of Medicine , Boston , MA , USA.,c Graduate Program in Neuroscience , Boston University School of Medicine , Boston , MA , USA
| | - Ajay R Uprety
- a Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology , Boston University School of Medicine , Boston , MA , USA
| | - Douglas L Rosene
- a Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology , Boston University School of Medicine , Boston , MA , USA.,d Yerkes National Primate Research Center , Emory University , Atlanta , GA , USA
| | - Mark B Moss
- a Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology , Boston University School of Medicine , Boston , MA , USA.,b Department of Neurology , Boston University School of Medicine , Boston , MA , USA.,d Yerkes National Primate Research Center , Emory University , Atlanta , GA , USA
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14
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Tronci E, Francardo V. Animal models of L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia: the 6-OHDA-lesioned rat and mouse. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2017; 125:1137-1144. [PMID: 29242978 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-017-1825-5] [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: 10/30/2017] [Accepted: 12/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Appearance of L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia (LID) represents a major limitation in the pharmacological therapy with the dopamine precursor L-DOPA. Indeed, the vast majority of parkinsonian patients develop dyskinesia within 9-10 years of L-DOPA oral administration. This makes the discovery of new therapeutic strategies an important need. In the last decades, several animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD) have been developed, to both study mechanisms underlying PD pathology and treatment-induced side effects (i.e., LID) and to screen for new potential anti-parkinsonian and anti-dyskinetic treatments. Among all the models developed, the 6-OHDA-lesioned rodents represent the models of choice to mimic PD motor symptoms and LID, thanks to their reproducibility and translational value. Under L-DOPA treatment, rodents sustaining 6-OHDA lesions develop abnormal involuntary movements with dystonic and hyperkinetic features, resembling what seen in dyskinetic PD patients. These models have been extensively validated by the evidence that dyskinetic behaviors are alleviated by compounds reducing dyskinesia in patients and non-human primate models of PD. This article will focus on the translational value of the 6-OHDA rodent models of LID, highlighting their main features, advantages and disadvantages in preclinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Tronci
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Physiology, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, SS554 Km 4.5, 09042, Monserrato, Italy.
| | - Veronica Francardo
- Basal Ganglia Pathophysiology Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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15
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Zhang R, Andersen AH, Hardy PA, Forman E, Evans A, Ai Y, Yue J, Yue G, Gash DM, Grondin R, Zhang Z. Objectively measuring effects of electro-acupuncture in parkinsonian rhesus monkeys. Brain Res 2017; 1678:12-19. [PMID: 29017909 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2017.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2017] [Revised: 09/19/2017] [Accepted: 10/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Acupuncture has increasingly been used as an alternative therapy for treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the efficacy of acupunture for PD still remains unclear. The present study was designed to objectively and safely monitor anti-parkinsonian effects of electroacupuncture (EA) and brain activity in nonhuman primates modeling human PD. Six middle-aged rhesus monkeys were extensively studied by a computerized behavioral testing battery and by pharmacological MRI (phMRI) scans with specific dopaminergic drug stimulations. All animals were evaluated for behavior and phMRI responses under normal, parkinsonian, parkinsonian with EA treatment and parkinsonian after EA treatment conditions. Stable parkinsonian features were observed in all animals prior to entering the EA study and positive responses to levodopa (L-dopa) challenge were also seen in all animals. The results demonstrated that chronic EA treatments could significantly improve the movement speed and the fine motor performance time during the period of EA treatments, and the effectiveness of EA could be detected even 3 months after the EA treatment. The phMRI data revealed that chronic EA treatments could alter neuronal activity in the striatum, primary motor cortex (M1), cingulate gyrus and global pallidus externa (GPe) in the ipsilateral hemisphere to MPTP lesions. As seen in the changes of parkinsonian features, the residual effects of phMRI responses to apomorphine (APO) challenge could also be found in the aforementioned areas. The results strongly suggest that anti-parkinsonian effects of EA can be objectively assessed, and the method used in the present study could be translated into the human clinic with some minor modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, School of Medicine, Jinan, Shandong 250021 PR China; Department of Neuroscience, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - Anders H Andersen
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - Peter A Hardy
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - Eric Forman
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - April Evans
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - Yi Ai
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - Jin Yue
- Nanning Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanning City, Guangxi 530001, PR China
| | - Guihua Yue
- Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning City, Guangxi 530200, PR China
| | - Don M Gash
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - Richard Grondin
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - Zhiming Zhang
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
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16
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Non-human primate models of PD to test novel therapies. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2017; 125:291-324. [PMID: 28391443 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-017-1722-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Non-human primate (NHP) models of Parkinson disease show many similarities with the human disease. They are very useful to test novel pharmacotherapies as reviewed here. The various NHP models of this disease are described with their characteristics including the macaque, the marmoset, and the squirrel monkey models. Lesion-induced and genetic models are described. There is no drug to slow, delay, stop, or cure Parkinson disease; available treatments are symptomatic. The dopamine precursor, L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-Dopa) still remains the gold standard symptomatic treatment of Parkinson. However, involuntary movements termed L-Dopa-induced dyskinesias appear in most patients after chronic treatment and may become disabling. Dyskinesias are very difficult to manage and there is only amantadine approved providing only a modest benefit. In this respect, NHP models have been useful to seek new drug targets, since they reproduce motor complications observed in parkinsonian patients. Therapies to treat motor symptoms in NHP models are reviewed with a discussion of their translational value to humans. Disease-modifying treatments tested in NHP are reviewed as well as surgical treatments. Many biochemical changes in the brain of post-mortem Parkinson disease patients with dyskinesias are reviewed and compare well with those observed in NHP models. Non-motor symptoms can be categorized into psychiatric, autonomic, and sensory symptoms. These symptoms are present in most parkinsonian patients and are already installed many years before the pre-motor phase of the disease. The translational usefulness of NHP models of Parkinson is discussed for non-motor symptoms.
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17
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Aron Badin R, Vadori M, Cozzi E, Hantraye P. Translational research for Parkinson׳s disease: The value of pre-clinical primate models. Eur J Pharmacol 2015; 759:118-26. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2015.03.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2015] [Revised: 03/10/2015] [Accepted: 03/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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18
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Chan AWS, Jiang J, Chen Y, Li C, Prucha MS, Hu Y, Chi T, Moran S, Rahim T, Li S, Li X, Zola SM, Testa CM, Mao H, Villalba R, Smith Y, Zhang X, Bachevalier J. Progressive cognitive deficit, motor impairment and striatal pathology in a transgenic Huntington disease monkey model from infancy to adulthood. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0122335. [PMID: 25966278 PMCID: PMC4428630 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0122335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2014] [Accepted: 02/10/2015] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the roadblocks to developing effective therapeutics for Huntington disease (HD) is the lack of animal models that develop progressive clinical traits comparable to those seen in patients. Here we report a longitudinal study that encompasses cognitive and motor assessment, and neuroimaging of a group of transgenic HD and control monkeys from infancy to adulthood. Along with progressive cognitive and motor impairment, neuroimaging revealed a progressive reduction in striatal volume. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 48 months of age revealed a decrease of N-acetylaspartate (NAA), further suggesting neuronal damage/loss in the striatum. Postmortem neuropathological analyses revealed significant neuronal loss in the striatum. Our results indicate that HD monkeys share similar disease patterns with HD patients, making them potentially suitable as a preclinical HD animal model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony W. S. Chan
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurologic Diseases, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Jie Jiang
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurologic Diseases, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Yiju Chen
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurologic Diseases, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Chunxia Li
- Yerkes Imaging Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Melinda S. Prucha
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurologic Diseases, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Yijuan Hu
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Emory University School of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Tim Chi
- Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurologic Diseases, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Sean Moran
- Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurologic Diseases, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Tayeb Rahim
- Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurologic Diseases, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Shihua Li
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Xiaojiang Li
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Stuart M. Zola
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Claudia M. Testa
- Department of Neurology and Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Hui Mao
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Rosa Villalba
- Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurologic Diseases, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Yoland Smith
- Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurologic Diseases, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Xiaodong Zhang
- Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurologic Diseases, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Yerkes Imaging Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Jocelyne Bachevalier
- Department of Psychology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Division of Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
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19
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Pandya JD, Grondin R, Yonutas HM, Haghnazar H, Gash DM, Zhang Z, Sullivan PG. Decreased mitochondrial bioenergetics and calcium buffering capacity in the basal ganglia correlates with motor deficits in a nonhuman primate model of aging. Neurobiol Aging 2015; 36:1903-13. [PMID: 25726361 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2015.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2014] [Revised: 12/24/2014] [Accepted: 01/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Altered mitochondrial function in the basal ganglia has been hypothesized to underlie cellular senescence and promote age-related motor decline. We tested this hypothesis in a nonhuman primate model of human aging. Six young (6-8 years old) and 6 aged (20-25 years old) female Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) were behaviorally characterized from standardized video records. Additionally, we measured mitochondrial bioenergetics along with calcium buffering capacity in the substantia nigra and putamen (PUT) from both age groups. Our results demonstrate that the aged animals had significantly reduced locomotor activity and movement speed compared with younger animals. Moreover, aged monkeys had significantly reduced ATP synthesis capacity (in substantia nigra and PUT), reduced pyruvate dehydrogenase activity (in PUT), and reduced calcium buffering capacity (in PUT) compared with younger animals. Furthermore, this age-related decline in mitochondrial function in the basal ganglia correlated with decline in motor function. Overall, our results suggest that drug therapies designed to enhance altered mitochondrial function may help improve motor deficits in the elderly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jignesh D Pandya
- Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, The University of Kentucky Chandler College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA; Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, The University of Kentucky Chandler College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Richard Grondin
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, The University of Kentucky Chandler College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Heather M Yonutas
- Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, The University of Kentucky Chandler College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA; Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, The University of Kentucky Chandler College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Hamed Haghnazar
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, The University of Kentucky Chandler College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Don M Gash
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, The University of Kentucky Chandler College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Zhiming Zhang
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, The University of Kentucky Chandler College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Patrick G Sullivan
- Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, The University of Kentucky Chandler College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA; Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, The University of Kentucky Chandler College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA.
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20
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Boeving ER, Lacreuse A, Hopkins WD, Phillips KA, Novak MA, Nelson EL. Handedness influences intermanual transfer in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) but not rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta). Exp Brain Res 2014; 233:829-37. [PMID: 25466868 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-014-4158-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2014] [Accepted: 11/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Intermanual transfer refers to an effect, whereby training one hand to perform a motor task improves performance in the opposite untrained hand. We tested the hypothesis that handedness facilitates intermanual transfer in two nonhuman primate species: rhesus monkeys (N = 13) and chimpanzees (N = 52). Subjects were grouped into one of four conditions: (1) left-handers trained with the left (dominant) hand; (2) left-handers trained with the right (nondominant) hand; (3) right-handers trained with the left (nondominant) hand; and (4) right-handers trained with the right (dominant) hand. Intermanual transfer was measured using a task where subjects removed a Life Savers(®) candy (monkeys) or a washer (chimpanzees) from metal shapes. Transfer was measured with latency by comparing the average time taken to solve the task in the first session with the trained hand compared to the first session with the untrained hand. Hypotheses and predictions were derived from three models of transfer: access: benefit training with nondominant hand; proficiency: benefit training with dominant hand; and cross-activation: benefit irrespective of trained hand. Intermanual transfer (i.e., shorter latency in untrained hand) occurred regardless of whether monkeys trained with the dominant hand or nondominant hand, supporting the cross-activation model. However, transfer was only observed in chimpanzees that trained with the dominant hand. When handedness groups were examined separately, the transfer effect was only significant for right-handed chimpanzees, partially supporting the proficiency model. Findings may be related to neurophysiological differences in motor control as well as differences in handedness patterning between rhesus monkeys and chimpanzees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily R Boeving
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th Street, DM 256, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
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21
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Kelly B, Maguire-Herring V, Rose CM, Gore HE, Ferrigno S, Novak MA, Lacreuse A. Short-term testosterone manipulations do not affect cognition or motor function but differentially modulate emotions in young and older male rhesus monkeys. Horm Behav 2014; 66:731-42. [PMID: 25308086 PMCID: PMC4262694 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2014] [Revised: 07/15/2014] [Accepted: 08/12/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Human aging is characterized by declines in cognition and fine motor function as well as improved emotional regulation. In men, declining levels of testosterone (T) with age have been implicated in the development of these age-related changes. However, studies examining the effects of T replacement on cognition, emotion and fine motor function in older men have not provided consistent results. Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) are excellent models for human cognitive aging and may provide novel insights on this issue. We tested 10 aged intact male rhesus monkeys (mean age=19, range 15-25) on a battery of cognitive, motor and emotional tasks at baseline and under low or high T experimental conditions. Their performance was compared to that of 6 young males previously tested in the same paradigm (Lacreuse et al., 2009; Lacreuse et al., 2010). Following a 4-week baseline testing period, monkeys were treated with a gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (Depot Lupron, 200 μg/kg) to suppress endogenous T and were tested on the task battery under a 4-week high T condition (injection of Lupron+T enanthate, 20 mg/kg, n=8) or 4-week low T condition (injection of Lupron+oil vehicle, n=8) before crossing over to the opposite treatment. The cognitive tasks consisted of the Delayed Non-Matching-to-Sample (DNMS), the Delayed Response (DR), and the Delayed Recognition Span Test (spatial-DRST). The emotional tasks included an object Approach-Avoidance task and a task in which monkeys were played videos of unfamiliar conspecifics in different emotional context (Social Playbacks). The fine motor task was the Lifesaver task that required monkeys to remove a Lifesaver candy from rods of different complexity. T manipulations did not significantly affect visual recognition memory, working memory, reference memory or fine motor function at any age. In the Approach-Avoidance task, older monkeys, but not younger monkeys, spent more time in proximity of novel objects in the high T condition relative to the low T condition. In both age groups, high T increased watching time of threatening social stimuli in the Social Playbacks. These results suggest that T affects some aspects of emotional processing but has no effect on fine motor function or cognition in young or older male macaques. It is possible that the duration of T treatment was not long enough to affect cognition or fine motor function or that T levels were too high to improve these outcomes. An alternative explanation for the discrepancies of our findings with some of the cognitive and emotional effects of T reported in rodents and humans may be the use of a chemical castration, which reduced circulating gonadotropins in addition to T. Further studies will investigate whether the luteinizing hormone LH mediates the effects of T on brain function in male primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Kelly
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA; Harvard Medical School, New England Primate Research Center, Southborough, MA 01772, USA; Behavioral Sciences, Fitchburg State University, Fitchburg MA 01420, USA
| | | | - Christian M Rose
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Heather E Gore
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Stephen Ferrigno
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Melinda A Novak
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA; Harvard Medical School, New England Primate Research Center, Southborough, MA 01772, USA
| | - Agnès Lacreuse
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
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22
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Lacreuse A, Russell JL, Hopkins WD, Herndon JG. Cognitive and motor aging in female chimpanzees. Neurobiol Aging 2013; 35:623-32. [PMID: 24112794 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2013.08.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2013] [Revised: 08/29/2013] [Accepted: 08/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
We present the first longitudinal data on cognitive and motor aging in the chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes). Thirty-eight adult female chimpanzees (10-54 years old) were studied. The apes were tested longitudinally for 3 years in a modified Primate Cognition Test Battery, which comprised 12 tests of physical and social cognition. The chimpanzees were also administered a fine motor task requiring them to remove a steel nut from rods of various complexity. There was little evidence for an age-related decline in tasks of Physical Cognition: for most tasks, performance was either stable or improved with repeated testing across age groups. An exception was Spatial Memory, for which 4 individuals more than 50 years old experienced a significant performance decline across the 3 years of testing. Poorer performance with age was found in 2 tasks of Social Cognition, an attention-getting task and a gaze-following task. A slight motor impairment was also observed, with old chimpanzees improving less than younger animals with repeated testing on the simplest rod. Hormonal status effects were restricted to spatial memory, with non-cycling females outperforming cycling females independently of age. Unexpectedly, older chimpanzees were better than younger individuals in understanding causality relationships based on sound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnès Lacreuse
- Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA.
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Autologous transplantation of GDNF-expressing mesenchymal stem cells protects against MPTP-induced damage in cynomolgus monkeys. Sci Rep 2013; 3:2786. [PMID: 24071770 PMCID: PMC4070584 DOI: 10.1038/srep02786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2013] [Accepted: 09/11/2013] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) has shown beneficial effects in models of Parkinson's disease. The mild results observed in the double-blind clinical trial by intraputamenal infusion of recombinant GDNF proteins warrant a search for alternative delivery methods. In this study, we investigated the function of autologous mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) expressing GDNF (GDNF-MSCs) for protection against MPTP-induced injury in cynomolgus monkeys. MSCs were obtained from the bone marrow of individual monkeys and gene-modified to express GDNF. Following unilateral engraftment of GDNF-MSCs into the striatum and substantia nigra, the animals were challenged with MPTP to induce a stable systemic Parkinsonian state. The motor functions were spared in the contralateral limbs of monkeys receiving GDNF-MSCs, but not in those receiving MSCs alone. In the striatum of the grafted hemisphere, dopamine levels were higher and dopamine uptake was enhanced. The results suggest that autologous MSCs may be a safe vehicle to deliver GDNF for enhancing nigro-striatum functions.
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Feng X, Xu Z, Butler SG, Leng I, Zhang T, Kritchevsky SB. Effects of aging and levodopa on the laryngeal adductor reflex in rats. Exp Gerontol 2012; 47:900-7. [PMID: 22824541 PMCID: PMC4819337 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2012.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2012] [Revised: 07/12/2012] [Accepted: 07/13/2012] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Dopaminergic neurotransmission plays an essential role in sensorimotor function, and declines with age. Previously, we found the laryngeal adductor reflex (LAR) was increased in excitation by a dopamine receptor antagonist. If this airway-protective reflex is similarly affected by aging, it will interfere with volitional control in older adults. The current study tested whether the LAR was affected by aging, and whether such deficits were reversed by levodopa administration in aging rats. We recorded thyroarytenoid (TA) muscle activity at rest and during elicitation of LAR responses by stimulation of the internal branch of the superior laryngeal nerve (iSLN) in 6-, 18- and 30-month-old rats under alpha-chloralose anesthesia. Using paired stimuli at different inter-stimulus intervals (ISIs), LAR central conditioning, resting muscle activity, and reflex latency and amplitudes were quantified. Numbers of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) were measured using tyrosine hydroxylase staining. We found: (1) increased resting TA muscle activity and LAR amplitude occurred with fewer dopaminergic neurons in the SNpc in 18- and 30-month-old rats; (2) decreases in LAR latency and increases in amplitude correlated with reduced numbers of dopaminergic neurons in the SNpc; (3) test responses were greater at 1000ms ISI in 18-month-old rats compared with 6-month-old rats; and (4) levodopa administration further increased response latency but did not alter muscle activity, response amplitude, or central conditioning. In conclusion, increases in laryngeal muscle activity levels and reflex amplitudes accompanied age reductions in dopaminergic neurons but were not reversed with levodopa administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Feng
- Department of Otolaryngology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, United States.
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25
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Sridharan A, Willette AA, Bendlin BB, Alexander AL, Coe CL, Voytko ML, Colman RJ, Kemnitz JW, Weindruch RH, Johnson SC. Brain volumetric and microstructural correlates of executive and motor performance in aged rhesus monkeys. Front Aging Neurosci 2012; 4:31. [PMID: 23162464 PMCID: PMC3492760 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2012.00031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2012] [Accepted: 10/22/2012] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The aged rhesus macaque exhibits brain atrophy and behavioral deficits similar to normal aging in humans. Here we studied the association between cognitive and motor performance and anatomic and microstructural brain integrity measured with 3T magnetic resonance imaging in aged monkeys. About half of these animals were maintained on moderate calorie restriction (CR), the only intervention shown to delay the aging process in lower animals. T1-weighted anatomic and diffusion tensor images were used to obtain gray matter (GM) volume and fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD), respectively. We tested the extent to which brain health indexed by GM volume, FA, and MD were related to executive and motor function, and determined the effect of the dietary intervention on this relationship. We hypothesized that fewer errors on the executive function test and faster motor response times would be correlated with higher volume, higher FA, and lower MD in frontal areas that mediate executive function, and in motor, premotor, subcortical, and cerebellar areas underlying goal-directed motor behaviors. Higher error percentage on a cognitive conceptual shift task was significantly associated with lower GM volume in frontal and parietal cortices, and lower FA in major association fiber bundles. Similarly, slower performance time on the motor task was significantly correlated with lower volumetric measures in cortical, subcortical, and cerebellar areas and decreased FA in several major association fiber bundles. Notably, performance during the acquisition phase of the hardest level of the motor task was significantly associated with anterior mesial temporal lobe volume. Finally, these brain-behavior correlations for the motor task were attenuated in CR animals compared to controls, indicating a potential protective effect of the dietary intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aadhavi Sridharan
- Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI, USA ; Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI, USA
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Shively CA, Willard SL, Register TC, Bennett AJ, Pierre PJ, Laudenslager ML, Kitzman DW, Childers MK, Grange RW, Kritchevsky SB. Aging and physical mobility in group-housed Old World monkeys. AGE (DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS) 2012; 34:1123-1131. [PMID: 22203457 PMCID: PMC3448999 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-011-9350-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2011] [Accepted: 12/01/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
While indices of physical mobility such as gait speed are significant predictors of future morbidity/mortality in the elderly, mechanisms of these relationships are not understood. Relevant animal models of aging and physical mobility are needed to study these relationships. The goal of this study was to develop measures of physical mobility including activity levels and gait speed in Old World monkeys which vary with age in adults. Locomotor behaviors of 21 old ([Formula: see text] = 20 yoa) and 24 young ([Formula: see text] = 9 yoa) socially housed adult females of three species were recorded using focal sample and ad libitum behavior observation methods. Self-motivated walking speed was 17% slower in older than younger adults. Likewise, young adults climbed more frequently than older adults. Leaping and jumping were more common, on average, in young adults, but this difference did not reach significance. Overall activity levels did not vary significantly by age, and there were no significant age by species interactions in any of these behaviors. Of all the behaviors evaluated, walking speed measured in a simple and inexpensive manner appeared most sensitive to age and has the added feature of being least affected by differences in housing characteristics. Thus, walking speed may be a useful indicator of decline in physical mobility in nonhuman primate models of aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol A Shively
- Department of Pathology, Section on Comparative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1040, USA.
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Age-related decline in motor behavior and striatal dopamine transporter in cynomolgus monkeys. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2012; 119:943-52. [DOI: 10.1007/s00702-012-0770-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2011] [Accepted: 01/29/2012] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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Landau AM, Clark C, Jivan S, Doudet DJ. Antiparkinsonian Mechanism of Electroconvulsive Therapy in MPTP-Lesioned Non-Human Primates. NEURODEGENER DIS 2012; 9:128-38. [DOI: 10.1159/000334497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2011] [Accepted: 10/18/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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Vezoli J, Fifel K, Leviel V, Dehay C, Kennedy H, Cooper HM, Gronfier C, Procyk E. Early presymptomatic and long-term changes of rest activity cycles and cognitive behavior in a MPTP-monkey model of Parkinson's disease. PLoS One 2011; 6:e23952. [PMID: 21887350 PMCID: PMC3161087 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0023952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2011] [Accepted: 07/28/2011] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background It is increasingly recognized that non-motor symptoms are a prominent feature of Parkinson's disease and in the case of cognitive deficits can precede onset of the characteristic motor symptoms. Here, we examine in 4 monkeys chronically treated with low doses of the neurotoxin MPTP the early and long-term alterations of rest-activity rhythms in relationship to the appearance of motor and cognitive symptoms. Methodology/Principal Findings Behavioral activity recordings as well as motor and cognitive assessments were carried out continuously and in parallel before, during and for several months following MPTP-treatment (12–56 weeks). Cognitive abilities were assessed using a task that is dependent on the functional integrity of the fronto-striatal axis. Rest-activity cycles were monitored continuously using infrared movement detectors of locomotor activity. Motor impairment was evaluated using standardized scales for primates. Results show that MPTP treatment led to an immediate alteration (within one week) of rest-activity cycles and cognitive deficits. Parkinsonian motor deficits only became apparent 3 to 5 weeks after initiating chronic MPTP administration. In three of the four animals studied, clinical scores returned to control levels 5–7 weeks following cessation of MPTP treatment. In contrast, both cognitive deficits and chronobiological alterations persisted for many months. Levodopa treatment led to an improvement of cognitive performance but did not affect rest-activity rhythms in the two cases tested. Conclusions/Significance Present results show that i) changes in the rest activity cycles constituted early detectable consequences of MPTP treatment and, along with cognitive alterations, characterize the presymptomatic stage; ii) following motor recovery there is a long-term persistence of non-motor symptoms that could reflect differential underlying compensatory mechanisms in these domains; iii) the progressive MPTP-monkey model of presymptomatic ongoing parkinsonism offers possibilities for in-depth studies of early non-motor symptoms including sleep alterations and cognitive deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Vezoli
- Inserm, U846, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute, Bron, France
- Université de Lyon, Lyon 1, UMR-S 846, Lyon, France
- Ernst Strüngmann Institute (ESI) in Cooperation with Max Planck Society, Frankfurt, Germany
- * E-mail: (JV); (HMC)
| | - Karim Fifel
- Inserm, U846, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute, Bron, France
- Université de Lyon, Lyon 1, UMR-S 846, Lyon, France
| | - Vincent Leviel
- Inserm, U846, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute, Bron, France
- Université de Lyon, Lyon 1, UMR-S 846, Lyon, France
| | - Colette Dehay
- Inserm, U846, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute, Bron, France
- Université de Lyon, Lyon 1, UMR-S 846, Lyon, France
| | - Henry Kennedy
- Inserm, U846, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute, Bron, France
- Université de Lyon, Lyon 1, UMR-S 846, Lyon, France
| | - Howard M. Cooper
- Inserm, U846, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute, Bron, France
- Université de Lyon, Lyon 1, UMR-S 846, Lyon, France
- * E-mail: (JV); (HMC)
| | - Claude Gronfier
- Inserm, U846, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute, Bron, France
- Université de Lyon, Lyon 1, UMR-S 846, Lyon, France
| | - Emmanuel Procyk
- Inserm, U846, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute, Bron, France
- Université de Lyon, Lyon 1, UMR-S 846, Lyon, France
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Hurley PJ, Elsworth JD, Whittaker MC, Roth RH, Redmond DE. Aged monkeys as a partial model for Parkinson's disease. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2011; 99:324-32. [PMID: 21620883 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2011.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2011] [Revised: 05/05/2011] [Accepted: 05/10/2011] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson's Disease (PD) and the natural aging process share a number of biochemical mechanisms, including reduced function of dopaminergic systems. The present study aims to determine the extent that motor and behavioral changes in aged monkeys resemble parkinsonism induced by the neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine. The behavioral and physiological changes in PD are believed to result largely from selective depletion of dopamine in the nigrostriatal system. In the present study, ten aged female monkeys were compared with three groups: 9 untreated young adult female monkeys, 10 young adult male monkeys and 13 older male monkeys that had been exposed to MPTP. Trained observers, blind as to age and drug condition and without knowledge of the hypotheses, scored the monkeys using the Parkinson's factor score (Parkscore), which has been validated by a high correlation with post mortem striatal dopamine (DA) concentrations. The aged animals had higher scores on the Parkscore compared with the young adults, with most of its component behavioral items showing significance (tremor, Eating Problems, Delayed initiation of movement, and Poverty of Movement). L-Dopa and DA-agonists did not clearly reverse the principal measure of parkinsonism. DA concentrations post mortem were 63% lower in 3 aged monkeys in the ventral putamen compared with 4 young adults, with greater reductions in putamen than in caudate (45%). We conclude that aged monkeys, unexposed to MPTP, show a similar profile of parkinsonism to that seen after the neurotoxin exposure to MPTP in young adult monkeys. The pattern of greater DA depletion in putamen than in caudate in aged monkeys is the same as in human Parkinson's disease and contrasts with the greater depletion in caudate seen after MPTP. Aged monkeys of this species reflect many facets of Parkinson's disease, but like older humans do not improve with standard dopamine replacement pharmacotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- P J Hurley
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 300 George Street 9th Floor, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
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31
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Collier TJ, Kanaan NM, Kordower JH. Ageing as a primary risk factor for Parkinson's disease: evidence from studies of non-human primates. Nat Rev Neurosci 2011; 12:359-66. [PMID: 21587290 DOI: 10.1038/nrn3039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 296] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Ageing is the greatest risk factor for the development of Parkinson's disease. However, the current dogma holds that cellular mechanisms that are associated with ageing of midbrain dopamine neurons and those that are related to dopamine neuron degeneration in Parkinson's disease are unrelated. We propose, based on evidence from studies of non-human primates, that normal ageing and the degeneration of dopamine neurons in Parkinson's disease are linked by the same cellular mechanisms and, therefore, that markers of cellular risk factors accumulate with age in a pattern that mimics the pattern of degeneration observed in Parkinson's disease. We contend that ageing induces a pre-parkinsonian state, and that the cellular mechanisms of dopamine neuron demise during normal ageing are accelerated or exaggerated in Parkinson's disease through a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy J Collier
- Division of Translational Science and Molecular Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503, USA.
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32
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Jiménez-Jiménez FJ, Calleja M, Alonso-Navarro H, Rubio L, Navacerrada F, Pilo-de-la-Fuente B, Plaza-Nieto JF, Arroyo-Solera M, García-Ruiz PJ, García-Martín E, Agúndez JA. Influence of age and gender in motor performance in healthy subjects. J Neurol Sci 2011; 302:72-80. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2010.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2010] [Revised: 11/20/2010] [Accepted: 11/22/2010] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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33
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Redmond DE. Behavioral Assessment in the African Green Monkey After MPTP Administration. NEUROMETHODS 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-61779-298-4_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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34
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Littrell OM, Pomerleau F, Huettl P, Surgener S, McGinty JF, Middaugh LD, Granholm AC, Gerhardt GA, Boger HA. Enhanced dopamine transporter activity in middle-aged Gdnf heterozygous mice. Neurobiol Aging 2010; 33:427.e1-14. [PMID: 21144620 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2010.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2010] [Revised: 08/24/2010] [Accepted: 10/16/2010] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) supports the viability of midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons that degenerate in Parkinson's disease. Middle-aged, 12 month old, Gdnf heterozygous (Gdnf(+/-)) mice have diminished spontaneous locomotor activity and enhanced synaptosomal DA uptake compared with wild type mice. In this study, dopamine transporter (DAT) function in middle-aged, 12 month old Gdnf(+/-) mice was more thoroughly investigated using in vivo electrochemistry. Gdnf(+/-) mice injected with the DAT inhibitor, nomifensine, exhibited significantly more locomotor activity than wild type mice. In vivo electrochemistry with carbon fiber microelectrodes demonstrated enhanced clearance of DA in the striatum of Gdnf(+/-) mice, suggesting greater surface expression of DAT than in wild type littermates. Additionally, 12 month old Gdnf(+/-) mice expressed greater D(2) receptor mRNA and protein in the striatum than wild type mice. Neurochemical analyses of striatal tissue samples indicated significant reductions in DA and a faster DA metabolic rate in Gdnf(+/-) mice than in wild type mice. Altogether, these data support an important role for GDNF in the regulation of uptake, synthesis, and metabolism of DA during aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ofelia M Littrell
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Morris K. Udall Parkinson's Disease Research, Center of Excellence, University of Kentucky Medical Center, 306 Davis Mills Bldg, 800 Rose St., Lexington, KY 40536, USA
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35
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Zhao F, Fan X, Grondin R, Edwards R, Forman E, Moorehead J, Gerhardt G, Wang X, Zhang Z. Improved methods for electroacupuncture and electromyographic recordings in normal and parkinsonian rhesus monkeys. J Neurosci Methods 2010; 192:199-206. [PMID: 20654649 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2010.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2010] [Revised: 07/13/2010] [Accepted: 07/14/2010] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Although acupuncture has been widely and routinely used in healthcare in the USA, its use has been based more on empirical observation than on scientific knowledge. Therefore, there is a great need for better understanding the underlying mechanism(s) of action. A great body of evidence supports that nonhuman primates are a candidate for studying human diseases. However, the use of nonhuman primates in neurophysiological, neuroimaging and neurochemical studies is extremely challenging, especially under fully conscious, alert conditions. In the present study, we developed a protocol for safely performing acupuncture, electroacupuncture (EA) and electromyography (EMG) in both normal nonhuman primates and animals with parkinsonian-like symptoms. Four normal and four hemiparkinsonian middle-aged rhesus monkeys were extensively trained, behaviorally monitored, and received both EA and EMG for several months. The results demonstrated that (1) all rhesus monkeys used in the study could be trained for procedures including EA and EMG; (2) all animals tolerated the procedures involving needle/electrode insertion; (3) EA procedures used in the study did not adversely alter the animal's locomotor activities; rather, MPTP-treated animals showed a significant improvement in movement speed; and (4) EMG detected significant differences in muscle activity between the arms with and without MPTP-induced rigidity. Our results support that rhesus monkeys can be used as an experimental animal model to study EA and that EMG has the potential to be used to objectively assess the effects of antiparkinsonian therapies. The results also indicate that animals, especially those with parkinsonian-like symptoms, could benefit from long-term EA stimulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Zhao
- Department of Physiology, Key Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Disorders of the Ministry Education, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, PR China
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36
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Blalock EM, Grondin R, Chen KC, Thibault O, Thibault V, Pandya JD, Dowling A, Zhang Z, Sullivan P, Porter NM, Landfield PW. Aging-related gene expression in hippocampus proper compared with dentate gyrus is selectively associated with metabolic syndrome variables in rhesus monkeys. J Neurosci 2010; 30:6058-71. [PMID: 20427664 PMCID: PMC3155249 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3956-09.2010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2009] [Revised: 02/15/2010] [Accepted: 03/21/2010] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-dependent metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a well established risk factor for cardiovascular disease, but it also confers major risk for impaired cognition in normal aging or Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, little is known about the specific pathways mediating MetS-brain interactions. Here, we performed the first studies quantitatively linking MetS variables to aging changes in brain genome-wide expression and mitochondrial function. In six young adult and six aging female rhesus monkeys, we analyzed gene expression in two major hippocampal subdivisions critical for memory/cognitive function [hippocampus proper, or cornu ammonis (CA), and dentate gyrus (DG)]. Genes that changed with aging [aging-related genes (ARGs)] were identified in each region. Serum variables reflecting insulin resistance and dyslipidemia were used to construct a quantitative MetS index (MSI). This MSI increased with age and correlated negatively with hippocampal mitochondrial function (state III oxidation). More than 2000 ARGs were identified in CA and/or DG, in approximately equal numbers, but substantially more ARGs in CA than in DG were correlated selectively with the MSI. Pathways represented by MSI-correlated ARGs were determined from the Gene Ontology Database and literature. In particular, upregulated CA ARGs representing glucocorticoid receptor (GR), chromatin assembly/histone acetyltransferase, and inflammatory/immune pathways were closely associated with the MSI. These results suggest a novel model in which MetS is associated with upregulation of hippocampal GR-dependent transcription and epigenetic coactivators, contributing to decreased mitochondrial function and brain energetic dysregulation. In turn, these MSI-associated neuroenergetic changes may promote inflammation, neuronal vulnerability, and risk of cognitive impairment/AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric M Blalock
- Department of Molecular and Biomedical Pharmacology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536, USA.
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Aksenov V, Long J, Lokuge S, Foster JA, Liu J, Rollo CD. Dietary amelioration of locomotor, neurotransmitter and mitochondrial aging. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2010; 235:66-76. [DOI: 10.1258/ebm.2009.009219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Aging degrades motivation, cognition, sensory modalities and physical capacities, essentially dimming zestful living. Bradykinesis (declining physical movement) is a highly reliable biomarker of aging and mortality risk. Mice fed a complex dietary supplement (DSP) designed to ameliorate five mechanisms associated with aging showed no loss of total daily locomotion compared with >50% decrement in old untreated mice. This was associated with boosted striatal neuropeptide Y, reversal of age-related declines in mitochondrial complex III activity in brain and amelioration of oxidative stress (brain protein carbonyls). Supplemented mice expressed ∼50% fewer mitochondrial protein carbonyls per unit of complex III activity. Reduction of free radical production by mitochondria may explain the exceptional longevity of birds and dietary restricted animals and no DSP is known to impact this mechanism. Functional benefits greatly exceeded the modest longevity increases documented for supplemented normal mice. Regardless, for aging humans maintaining zestful health and performance into later years may provide greater social and economic benefits than simply prolonging lifespan. Although identifying the role of specific ingredients and interactions remains outstanding, results provide proof of principle that complex dietary cocktails can powerfully ameliorate biomarkers of aging and modulate mechanisms considered ultimate goals for aging interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vadim Aksenov
- Department of Biology, McMaster University 1280 Main St W, Hamilton, Ontario, CanadaL8S 4K1
| | - Jiangang Long
- Institute of Mitochondrial Biology and Medicine, Department of Biology and Engineering, The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, Xi'an Jiaotong University School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an 710049, China
| | - Sonali Lokuge
- Department of Biology, McMaster University 1280 Main St W, Hamilton, Ontario, CanadaL8S 4K1
| | - Jane A Foster
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neuroscience, McMaster University and Brain-Body Institute, St Joseph's Healthcare 50 Charlton Ave. E T3308, Hamilton, Ontario, CanadaL8N 4A6
| | - Jiankang Liu
- Institute of Mitochondrial Biology and Medicine, Department of Biology and Engineering, The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, Xi'an Jiaotong University School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an 710049, China
| | - C David Rollo
- Department of Biology, McMaster University 1280 Main St W, Hamilton, Ontario, CanadaL8S 4K1
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Moore TL, Killiany RJ, Pessina MA, Moss MB, Rosene DL. Assessment of motor function of the hand in aged rhesus monkeys. Somatosens Mot Res 2010; 27:121-30. [PMID: 20653499 PMCID: PMC6504938 DOI: 10.3109/08990220.2010.485963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
In the elderly, intact motor functions of the upper extremity are critical for the completion of activities of daily living. Many studies have provided insight into age-related changes in motor function. However, the precise nature and extent of motor impairments of the upper extremity remains unclear. In the current study we have modified two tasks to assess hand/digit function in both young and aged rhesus monkeys. We tested monkeys from 9 to 26 years of age on these tasks to determine the level of fine motor performance across the adult age range. Compared to young monkeys (9-12 years of age), aged monkeys (15-26 years of age) were mildly impaired on fine motor control of the digits. These findings are consistent with previous studies that have found age-related impairment in fine motor function. However, the magnitude and extent of impairment in the current study does differ from previous findings and is likely due to methodological differences in the degree of task complexity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara L Moore
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
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40
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Emborg ME, Moirano J, Raschke J, Bondarenko V, Zufferey R, Peng S, Ebert AD, Joers V, Roitberg B, Holden JE, Koprich J, Lipton J, Kordower JH, Aebischer P. Response of aged parkinsonian monkeys to in vivo gene transfer of GDNF. Neurobiol Dis 2009; 36:303-11. [PMID: 19660547 PMCID: PMC2989601 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2009.07.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2008] [Revised: 07/27/2009] [Accepted: 07/28/2009] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
This study assessed the potential for functional and anatomical recovery of the diseased aged primate nigrostriatal system, in response to trophic factor gene transfer. Aged rhesus monkeys received a single intracarotid infusion of MPTP, followed one week later by MRI-guided stereotaxic intrastriatal and intranigral injections of lentiviral vectors encoding for glial derived neurotrophic factor (lenti-GDNF) or beta-galactosidase (lenti-LacZ). Functional analysis revealed that the lenti-GDNF, but not lenti-LacZ treated monkeys displayed behavioral improvements that were associated with increased fluorodopa uptake in the striatum ipsilateral to lenti-GDNF treatment. GDNF ELISA of striatal brain samples confirmed increased GDNF expression in lenti-GDNF treated aged animals that correlated with functional improvements and preserved nigrostriatal dopaminergic markers. Our results indicate that the aged primate brain challenged by MPTP administration has the potential to respond to trophic factor delivery and that the degree of neuroprotection depends on GDNF levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- M E Emborg
- Preclinical Parkinson's Research Program, Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1223 Capitol Court, Madison, WI 53715, USA.
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41
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Zhao XD, Cao YQ, Liu HH, Li FQ, You BM, Zhou XP. Long term high frequency stimulation of STN increases dopamine in the corpus striatum of hemiparkinsonian rhesus monkey. Brain Res 2009; 1286:230-8. [PMID: 19563788 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2009.06.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2009] [Revised: 06/21/2009] [Accepted: 06/23/2009] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Long term subthalamic nucleus (STN) high frequency stimulation (HFS) can improve most symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and decrease the dosage of antiparkinsonian drug such as Madopar. The mechanism of STN HFS for PD still remains elusive. We hypothesize that the level of dopamine (DA) and its metabolites in the corpus striatum is increased after long term STN HFS. The aim of this study was to examine the DA and its metabolites in the extracellular space of corpus striatum in hemiparkinsonian monkeys during long term STN HFS. Four rhesus monkeys were induced to hemiparkinsonian models by injecting 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) through right internal carotid artery. Then two of them were underwent long term right STN HFS for the subsequent microdialysis sessions. Four microdialysis probe cannulas were implanted into bilateral putamen and caudate nucleus respectively. The microdialysis probe was put into the microdialysis probe cannula of bilateral putamen and caudate nucleus. Dialysates of extracellular space in corpus striatum were collected prior to STN HFS, and subsequently 8 h, 1 week, 1 month, 2 months, 8 months and 10 months after STN HFS. The level of DA and its metabolites were determined by high performance liquid chromatography and subthalamic nucleus electrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD). HFS significantly improved PD symptoms of the monkeys. Rotation evoked by apomorphine (APO) disappeared immediately after HFS pulse generator was turned on. The levels of DA and its metabolites in putamen and caudate nucleus of electrode side increased significantly at different time points after stimulation. Long term STN HFS significantly improved symptoms of hemiparkinsonian rhesus monkey, which might be due to the increase of dopamine and/or its metabolites in corpus striatum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu-dong Zhao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Jinling Hospital, School of Medicine, Nanjing University, 305 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing 21002, Jiangsu Province, China
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Gagliardi C, Bunnell BA. Large animal models of neurological disorders for gene therapy. ILAR J 2009; 50:128-43. [PMID: 19293458 DOI: 10.1093/ilar.50.2.128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
he development of therapeutic interventions for genetic disorders and diseases that affect the central nervous system (CNS) has proven challenging. There has been significant progress in the development of gene therapy strategies in murine models of human disease, but gene therapy outcomes in these models do not always translate to the human setting. Therefore, large animal models are crucial to the development of diagnostics, treatments, and eventual cures for debilitating neurological disorders. This review focuses on the description of large animal models of neurological diseases such as lysosomal storage diseases, Parkinsons disease, Huntingtons disease, and neuroAIDS. The review also describes the contributions of these models to progress in gene therapy research.
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Nagahara AH, Bernot T, Tuszynski MH. Age-related cognitive deficits in rhesus monkeys mirror human deficits on an automated test battery. Neurobiol Aging 2008; 31:1020-31. [PMID: 18760505 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2008.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2007] [Revised: 05/28/2008] [Accepted: 07/11/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Aged non-human primates are a valuable model for gaining insight into mechanisms underlying neural decline with aging and during the course of neurodegenerative disorders. Behavioral studies are a valuable component of aged primate models, but are difficult to perform, time consuming, and often of uncertain relevance to human cognitive measures. We now report findings from an automated cognitive test battery in aged primates using equipment that is identical, and tasks that are similar, to those employed in human aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD) studies. Young (7.1+/-0.8 years) and aged (23.0+/-0.5 years) rhesus monkeys underwent testing on a modified version of the Cambridge Automated Neuropsychological Test Battery (CANTAB), examining cognitive performance on separate tasks that sample features of visuospatial learning, spatial working memory, discrimination learning, and skilled motor performance. We find selective cognitive impairments among aged subjects in visuospatial learning and spatial working memory, but not in delayed recall of previously learned discriminations. Aged monkeys also exhibit slower speed in skilled motor function. Thus, aged monkeys behaviorally characterized on a battery of automated tests reveal patterns of age-related cognitive impairment that mirror in quality and severity those of aged humans, and differ fundamentally from more severe patterns of deficits observed in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan H Nagahara
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California-San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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44
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Abstract
Non-human primates have a small but important role in basic and translational biomedical research, owing to similarities with human beings in physiology, cognitive capabilities, neuroanatomy, social complexity, reproduction, and development. Although non-human primates have contributed to many areas of biomedical research, we review here their unique contributions to work in neuroscience, and focus on four domains: Alzheimer's disease, neuroAIDS, Parkinson's disease, and stress. Our discussion includes, for example, the role of non-human primates in development of new treatments (eg, stem cells, gene transfer) before phase I clinical trials in patients; basic research on disease pathogenesis; and understanding neurobehavioural outcomes resulting from genotype-environment interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P Capitanio
- California National Primate Research Center and Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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45
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Ruiz PJG, Bernardos VS, Bartolomé M, Torres AG. Capit timed tests quantify age-related motor decline in normal subjects. J Neurol Sci 2007; 260:283-5. [PMID: 17524426 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2007.04.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2007] [Revised: 04/14/2007] [Accepted: 04/23/2007] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Slowing of motor performance in human aging is a well demonstrated clinical observation. Age-related motor decline has been also confirmed in animal models including rodents and non human primates. We studied the motor performance of 60 normal subjects (age: 20-87). Motor study included the four timed tests (TT) recommended in CAPIT protocol: pronation-supination (PS), finger dexterity (FD), movement between two points (MTP) or tapping, and walking test (WT). Finally we compared normal controls with a group of 30 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) of similar age. Age inversely correlated with TT performance in normal subjects (for PS, r:0.33, p<0.01; FD, r:0.44, p<0.0005; MTP, r:0.51, p<0.0001; WT, r:0.59, p<0.0001, Pearson). Our results confirm that motor performance (measured with CAPIT TT) deteriorates linearly with age. Simple tasks, such as CAPIT TT can help to study and quantify age-related motor decline.
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Kanaan NM, Kordower JH, Collier TJ. Age-related accumulation of Marinesco bodies and lipofuscin in rhesus monkey midbrain dopamine neurons: relevance to selective neuronal vulnerability. J Comp Neurol 2007; 502:683-700. [PMID: 17436290 DOI: 10.1002/cne.21333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by degeneration of nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) neurons. Although aging is a primary risk factor for PD, its role in DA neuron degeneration remains unknown. Neurodegeneration in PD is not uniform throughout the ventral midbrain: the ventral tier of the substantia nigra (vtSN) is most vulnerable, whereas the dorsal tier (dtSN) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) are relatively resistant. We studied young (9-10 years old), middle-aged (14-17 years old), and old-aged (22-29 years old) rhesus monkeys to identify factors potentially underlying selective vulnerability and their association with aging. We focused on markers relevant to the ubiquitin-proteasome (UPS) and lysosome systems. Unbiased stereological counting was performed on tyrosine hydroxylase-positive (TH+) neurons and TH+ neurons containing Marinesco bodies (TH+MB) or lipofuscin (TH+lipo), markers of UPS or lysosomal activity, respectively. TH+ neuron numbers were inversely correlated with advancing age specifically in the vtSN, not the dtSN or VTA. TH intensity decreased throughout the ventral midbrain with increasing age, an effect exacerbated in the vtSN. TH+MB neurons were localized in the vulnerable vtSN of old monkeys. The number of MBs per cell increased with age, and TH intensity of TH+MB neurons decreased in middle age. Conversely, TH+lipo neurons were primarily found in the resistant dtSN and VTA. These data suggest that particular age-related changes localize to DAergic subregions relevant to degenerative patterns in PD. Furthermore, the results begin to characterize the nature of the link between aging and PD, and they support the concept that aged monkeys represent a valuable model for studying specific events preceding PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas M Kanaan
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA
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Smith CD, Walton A, Slevin JT, Gerhardt GA, Umberger G, Smoot K, Schulze E, Gash D. Validation studies of the human movement analysis panel for hand/arm performance. J Neurosci Methods 2007; 165:287-96. [PMID: 17651810 PMCID: PMC2074932 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2007.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2007] [Revised: 05/08/2007] [Accepted: 06/18/2007] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The human movement analysis panel (HMAP) measures separable components of arm motion and simple and complex finger coordination. HMAP testing takes 30min to administer. In separate experiments we have validated the HMAP against the standard grooved pegboard and measures of gait speed, and demonstrated important learning effects over both short durations of days, and longer intervals of months to years in normal subjects of different ages. Stepwise regression demonstrated the strongest correlation between the HMAP complex motor times and pegboard both-hand removal (R(2)=0.52, p=0.002 for dominant and R(2)=0.33, p=0.02 for non-dominant hands). The most consistent and sensitive measure of HMAP motor performance overall was the complex motor time. The HMAP is a short-duration, easily administered, objective quantitative test of motor function, with potential applications in aging, and in Parkinson's Disease and related motor disorders. The HMAP has a smaller version used in primates, so that measurements made in primate models of disease and its treatment are directly comparable to analogous clinical measurements made in the corresponding human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles D Smith
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
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48
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Walton A, Scheib JL, McLean S, Zhang Z, Grondin R. Motor memory preservation in aged monkeys mirrors that of aged humans on a similar task. Neurobiol Aging 2007; 29:1556-62. [PMID: 17428582 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2007.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2006] [Revised: 02/28/2007] [Accepted: 03/12/2007] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
We studied long-term motor memory preservation in rhesus monkeys tested on a task similar to that employed in humans. First, motor speed and rate of motor decline was measured in 23 animals ranging from 4 to 26 years old. The task for the animals consisted of removing a food reward from a curved rod within the inner chamber of an automated panel. Young animals performed twice as fast as the aged animals. Second, young (n=6) and aged (n=10) animals were re-tested 1 year later on the same task with no intervening practice. We anticipated a decline in motor speed of 144 ms/year, instead the average performance time recorded during the repeat session improved significantly by 17% in the aged animals. This finding mirrors that of a longitudinal study conducted in humans using a similar test panel and supports that, while initial performance times of a novel motor task decline with age, motor memory traces are preserved over an extended time interval, even without continued practice. The data also support that the rhesus monkey could be used as a model to study the mechanisms by which long-term retention of motor memory occurs in aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Walton
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Kentucky Medical Center, 800 Rose Street, Room #305 Davis Mills Building (MRISC), Lexington, KY 40536-0098, USA
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Cass WA, Grondin R, Andersen AH, Zhang Z, Hardy PA, Hussey-Andersen LK, Rayens WS, Gerhardt GA, Gash DM. Iron accumulation in the striatum predicts aging-related decline in motor function in rhesus monkeys. Neurobiol Aging 2007; 28:258-71. [PMID: 16442671 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2005.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2005] [Revised: 12/07/2005] [Accepted: 12/16/2005] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Changes in the nigrostriatal system may be involved with the motor abnormalities seen in aging. These perturbations include alterations in dopamine (DA) release, regulation and transport in the striatum and substantia nigra, striatal atrophy and elevated iron levels in the basal ganglia. However, the relative contribution of these changes to the motor deficits seen in aging is unclear. Thus, using the rhesus monkey as a model, the present study was designed to examine several of these key alterations in the basal ganglia in order to help elucidate the mechanisms contributing to age-related motor decline. First, 32 female rhesus monkeys ranging from 4 to 32 years old were evaluated for their motor capabilities using an automated hand-retrieval task. Second, non-invasive MRI methods were used to estimate brain composition and to indirectly measure relative iron content in the striatum and substantia nigra. Third, in vivo microdialysis was used to evaluate basal and stimulus-evoked levels of DA and its metabolites in the striatum and substantia nigra of the same monkeys. Our results demonstrated significant decreases in motor performance, decreases in striatal DA release, and increases in striatal iron levels in rhesus monkeys as they age from young adulthood. A comprehensive statistical analysis relating age, motor performance, DA release, and iron content indicated that the best predictor of decreases in motor ability, above and beyond levels of performance that could be explained by age alone, was iron accumulation in the striatum. This suggests that striatal iron levels may be a biomarker of motor dysfunction in aging; and as such, can be monitored non-invasively by longitudinal brain MRI scans. The results also suggest that treatments aimed at reducing accumulation of excess iron in the striatum during normal aging may have beneficial effects on age-related deterioration of motor performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wayne A Cass
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536-0298, USA.
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50
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Ingram DK, Young J, Mattison JA. Calorie restriction in nonhuman primates: assessing effects on brain and behavioral aging. Neuroscience 2007; 145:1359-64. [PMID: 17223278 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2006.10.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2006] [Revised: 10/20/2006] [Accepted: 10/23/2006] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Dietary caloric restriction (CR) is the only intervention repeatedly demonstrated to retard the onset and incidence of age-related diseases, maintain function, and extend both lifespan and health span in mammals, including brain and behavioral function. In 70 years of study, such beneficial effects have been demonstrated in rodents and lower animals. Recent results emerging from ongoing studies of CR in humans and nonhuman primates suggest that many of the same anti-disease and anti-aging benefits observed in rodent studies may be applicable to long-lived species. Results of studies in rhesus monkeys indicate that CR animals (30% less than controls) are healthier than fully-fed counterparts based on reduced incidence of various diseases, exhibit significantly better indices of predisposition to disease and may be aging at a slower rate based on analysis of selected indices of aging. The current review discusses approaches taken in studies of rhesus monkeys to analyze age-related changes in brain and behavioral function and the impact of CR on these changes. Approaches include analyses of gross and fine locomotor performance as well as brain imaging. In a related study it was observed that short-term CR (6 months) in adult rhesus monkeys can provide protection against a neurotoxic insult. Increasing interest in the CR paradigm will expand its role in demonstrating how nutrition can modulate the rate of aging and the mechanisms responsible for this modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- D K Ingram
- Laboratory of Experimental Gerontology, Gerontology Research Center, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, 5600 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
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