Traumatic Injury Reduces Amyloid Plaque Burden in the Transgenic 5xFAD Alzheimer’s Mouse Spinal Cord

2020 ◽  
Vol 77 (3) ◽  
pp. 1315-1330
Author(s):  
Tak-Ho Chu ◽  
Karen Cummins ◽  
Peter K. Stys
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Axonal Injury ◽  
Amyloid Β ◽  
Amyloid Plaque ◽  
Amyloid Deposition ◽  
Plaque Burden ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Plaque Deposition ◽  
5Xfad Mice ◽  
The Impact

Background: Axonal injury has been implicated in the development of amyloid-β in experimental brain injuries and clinical cases. The anatomy of the spinal cord provides a tractable model for examining the effects of trauma on amyloid deposition. Objective: Our goal was to examine the effects of axonal injury on plaque formation and clearance using wild type and 5xFAD transgenic Alzheimer’s disease mice. Methods: We contused the spinal cord at the T12 spinal level at 10 weeks, an age at which no amyloid plaques spontaneously accumulate in 5xFAD mice. We then explored plaque clearance by impacting spinal cords in 27-week-old 5xFAD mice where amyloid deposition is already well established. We also examined the cellular expression of one of the most prominent amyloid-β degradation enzymes, neprilysin, at the lesion site. Results: No plaques were found in wild type animals at any time points examined. Injury in 5xFAD prevented plaque deposition rostral and caudal to the lesion when the cords were examined at 2 and 4 months after the impact, whereas age-matched naïve 5xFAD mice showed extensive amyloid plaque deposition. A massive reduction in the number of plaques around the lesion was found as early as 7 days after the impact, preceded by neprilysin upregulation in astrocytes at 3 days after injury. At 7 days after injury, the majority of amyloid was found inside microglia/macrophages. Conclusion: These observations suggest that the efficient amyloid clearance after injury in the cord may be driven by the orchestrated efforts of astroglial and immune cells.

scholarly journals Amyloid β oligomer selective antibodies for Alzheimers therapeutics and diagnostics

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsten L Viola ◽  
Maira A Bicca ◽  
Adrian M Bebenek ◽  
Daniel L Kranz ◽  
Vikas Nandwana ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Memory Loss ◽  
Amyloid Β ◽  
Intraventricular Injection ◽  
Post Inoculation ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Memory Dysfunction ◽  
Imaging Methods ◽  
5Xfad Mice ◽  
The Impact

Improvements have been made in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), manifesting mostly in the development of in vivo imaging methods that allow for the detection of pathological changes in AD by MRI and PET scans. Many of these imaging methods, however, use agents that probe amyloid fibrils and plaques- species that do not correlate well with disease progression and are not present at the earliest stages of the disease. Amyloid β oligomers (AβOs), rather, are now widely accepted as the Aβ species most germane to AD onset and progression. Here we report evidence further supporting the role of AβOs as pathological instigators of AD and introduce a promising anti-AβO diagnostic probe capable of distinguishing the 5xFAD mouse model from wild type mice by PET and MRI. In a developmental study, Aβ oligomers in 5xFAD mice were found to appear at 3 months of age, just prior to the onset of memory dysfunction, and spread as memory worsened. The increase is prominent in the subiculum and correlates with concomitant development of reactive astrocytosis. The impact of these AβOs on memory is in harmony with findings that intraventricular injection of synthetic AβOs into wild type mice induced hippocampal dependent memory dysfunction within 24 hours. Compelling support for the conclusion that endogenous AβOs cause memory loss was found in experiments showing that intranasal inoculation of AβO-selective antibodies into 5xFAD mice completely restored memory function, measured 30 days post-inoculation. These antibodies, which were modified to give MRI and PET imaging probes, were able to distinguish 5xFAD mice from wild type littermates. These results provide strong support for the role of AβOs in instigating memory loss and salient AD neuropathology, and they demonstrate that AβO selective antibodies have potential both for therapeutics and for diagnostics.

scholarly journals ApoE facilitates the microglial response to amyloid plaque pathology

2018 ◽  
Vol 215 (4) ◽  
pp. 1047-1058 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason D. Ulrich ◽  
Tyler K. Ulland ◽  
Thomas E. Mahan ◽  
Sofie Nyström ◽  
K. Peter Nilsson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Innate Immune Response ◽  
Amyloid Β ◽  
Amyloid Plaque ◽  
Innate Immune ◽  
Fluorescent Imaging ◽  
Amyloid Pathology ◽  
Plaque Deposition ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Deficient Mice

One of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease is the presence of extracellular diffuse and fibrillar plaques predominantly consisting of the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide. Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) influences the deposition of amyloid pathology through affecting the clearance and aggregation of monomeric Aβ in the brain. In addition to influencing Aβ metabolism, increasing evidence suggests that apoE influences microglial function in neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we characterize the impact that apoE has on amyloid pathology and the innate immune response in APPPS1ΔE9 and APPPS1-21 transgenic mice. We report that Apoe deficiency reduced fibrillar plaque deposition, consistent with previous studies. However, fibrillar plaques in Apoe-deficient mice exhibited a striking reduction in plaque compaction. Hyperspectral fluorescent imaging using luminescent conjugated oligothiophenes identified distinct Aβ morphotypes in Apoe-deficient mice. We also observed a significant reduction in fibrillar plaque–associated microgliosis and activated microglial gene expression in Apoe-deficient mice, along with significant increases in dystrophic neurites around fibrillar plaques. Our results suggest that apoE is critical in stimulating the innate immune response to amyloid pathology.

scholarly journals Deep proteome profiling of the hippocampus in the 5XFAD mouse model reveals biological process alterations and a novel biomarker of Alzheimer’s disease

2019 ◽  
Vol 51 (11) ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dong Kyu Kim ◽  
Dohyun Han ◽  
Joonho Park ◽  
Hyunjung Choi ◽  
Jong-Chan Park ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Protein S ◽  
Amyloid Plaque ◽  
Close Correlation ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
Secretory Proteins ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Plaque Deposition ◽  
5Xfad Mice

AbstractAlzheimer’s disease (AD), which is the most common type of dementia, is characterized by the deposition of extracellular amyloid plaques. To understand the pathophysiology of the AD brain, the assessment of global proteomic dynamics is required. Since the hippocampus is a major region affected in the AD brain, we performed hippocampal analysis and identified proteins that are differentially expressed between wild-type and 5XFAD model mice via LC-MS methods. To reveal the relationship between proteomic changes and the progression of amyloid plaque deposition in the hippocampus, we analyzed the hippocampal proteome at two ages (5 and 10 months). We identified 9,313 total proteins and 1411 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in 5- and 10-month-old wild-type and 5XFAD mice. We designated a group of proteins showing the same pattern of changes as amyloid beta (Aβ) as the Aβ-responsive proteome. In addition, we examined potential biomarkers by investigating secretory proteins from the Aβ-responsive proteome. Consequently, we identified vitamin K-dependent protein S (PROS1) as a novel microglia-derived biomarker candidate in the hippocampus of 5XFAD mice. Moreover, we confirmed that the PROS1 level in the serum of 5XFAD mice increases as the disease progresses. An increase in PROS1 is also observed in the sera of AD patients and shows a close correlation with AD neuroimaging markers in humans. Therefore, our quantitative proteome data obtained from 5XFAD model mice successfully predicted AD-related biological alterations and suggested a novel protein biomarker for AD.

The Effect of Spinal Cord Injury on Beta-Amyloid Plaque Pathology in TgCRND8 Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 576-586
Author(s):  
Qiuju Yuan ◽  
Jian Yang ◽  
Yan-Fang Xian ◽  
Rong Liu ◽  
Chun W. Chan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Axonal Injury ◽  
Spinal Cord Transection ◽  
Plaque Burden ◽  
Lesion Site ◽  
Plaque Deposition ◽  
Plaque Pathology ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Tgcrnd8 Mice

Background: The accumulation and aggregation of Aβ as amyloid plaques, the hallmark pathology of the Alzheimer.s disease, has been found in other neurological disorders, such as traumatic brain injury. The axonal injury may contribute to the formation of Aβ plaques. Studies to date have focused on the brain, with no investigations of spinal cord, although brain and cord share the same cellular components. Objective: We utilized a spinal cord transection model to examine whether spinal cord injury acutely induced the onset or promote the progression of Aβ plaque 3 days after injury in TgCRND8 transgenic model of AD. Methods: Spinal cord transection was performed in TgCRND8 mice and its littermate control wild type mice at the age of 3 and 20 months. Immunohistochemical reactions/ELISA assay were used to determine the extent of axonal damage and occurrence/alteration of Aβ plaques or levels of Aβ at different ages in the spinal cord of TgCRND8 mice. Results: After injury, widespread axonal pathology indicated by intra-axonal co-accumulations of APP and its product, Aβ, was observed in perilesional region of the spinal cord in the TgCRND8 mice at the age of 3 and 20 months, as compared to age-matched non-TgCRND8 mice. However, no Aβ plaques were found in the TgCRND8 mice at the age of 3 months. The 20-month-old TgCRND8 mice with established amyloidosis in spinal cord had a reduction rather than increase in plaque burden at the lesion site compared to the tissue adjacent to the injured area and corresponding area in sham mice following spinal cord transection. The lesion site of spinal cord area was occupied by CD68 positive macrophages/ activated microglia in injured mice compared to sham animals. These results indicate that spinal cord injury does not induce the acute onset and progression of Aβ plaque deposition in the spinal cord of TgCRND8 mice. Conversely, it induces the regression of Aβ plaque deposition in TgCRND8 mice. Conclusion: The findings underscore the dependence of traumatic axonal injury in governing acute Aβ plaque formation and provide evidence that Aβ plaque pathology may not play a role in secondary injury cascades following spinal cord injury.

Abnormal Spinal Cord Myelination due to Oligodendrocyte Dysfunction in a Model of Huntington’s Disease

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Costanza Ferrari Bardile ◽  
Harwin Sidik ◽  
Reynard Quek ◽  
Nur Amirah Binte Mohammad Yusof ◽  
Marta Garcia-Miralles ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Huntington's Disease ◽  
Huntington’S Disease ◽  
Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Cells ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Specific Expression ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Related Proteins ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Cervical Area

Background: The relative contribution of grey matter (GM) and white matter (WM) degeneration to the progressive brain atrophy in Huntington’s disease (HD) has been well studied. The pathology of the spinal cord in HD is comparatively less well documented. Objective: We aim to characterize spinal cord WM abnormalities in a mouse model of HD and evaluate whether selective removal of mutant huntingtin (mHTT) from oligodendroglia rescues these deficits. Methods: Histological assessments were used to determine the area of GM and WM in the spinal cord of 12-month-old BACHD mice, while electron microscopy was used to analyze myelin fibers in the cervical area of the spinal cord. To investigate the impact of inactivation of mHTT in oligodendroglia on these measures, we used the previously described BACHDxNG2Cre mouse line where mHTT is specifically reduced in oligodendrocyte progenitor cells. Results: We show that spinal GM and WM areas are significantly atrophied in HD mice compared to wild-type controls. We further demonstrate that specific reduction of mHTT in oligodendroglial cells rescues the atrophy of spinal cord WM, but not GM, observed in HD mice. Inactivation of mHTT in oligodendroglia had no effect on the density of oligodendroglial cells but enhanced the expression of myelin-related proteins in the spinal cord. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that the myelination abnormalities observed in brain WM structures in HD extend to the spinal cord and suggest that specific expression of mHTT in oligodendrocytes contributes to such abnormalities.

scholarly journals Centella Asiatica Improves Memory and Promotes Antioxidative Signaling in 5XFAD Mice

Antioxidants ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 630 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald G Matthews ◽  
Maya Caruso ◽  
Charles F Murchison ◽  
Jennifer Y Zhu ◽  
Kirsten M Wright ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Amyloid Β ◽  
Water Extract ◽  
Centella Asiatica ◽  
Antioxidant Response ◽  
Plaque Burden ◽  
Heme Oxygenase 1 ◽  
Synaptic Density ◽  
Cognitive Benefits ◽  
5Xfad Mice

Centella asiatica (CA) herb is a traditional medicine, long reputed to provide cognitive benefits. We have reported that CA water extract (CAW) treatment improves cognitive function of aged Alzheimer’s disease (AD) model Tg2576 and wild-type (WT) mice, and induces an NRF2-regulated antioxidant response in aged WT mice. Here, CAW was administered to AD model 5XFAD female and male mice and WT littermates (age: 7.6 +/ − 0.6 months), and object recall and contextual fear memory were tested after three weeks treatment. CAW’s impact on amyloid-β plaque burden, and markers of neuronal oxidative stress and synaptic density, was assessed after five weeks treatment. CAW antioxidant activity was evaluated via nuclear transcription factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (NRF2) and NRF2-regulated antioxidant response element gene expression. Memory improvement in both genders and genotypes was associated with dose-dependent CAW treatment without affecting plaque burden, and marginally increased synaptic density markers in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. CAW treatment increased Nrf2 in hippocampus and other NRF2 targets (heme oxygenase-1, NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1, glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit). Reduced plaque-associated SOD1, an indicator of oxidative stress, was observed in the hippocampi and cortices of CAW-treated 5XFAD mice. We postulate that CAW treatment leads to reduced oxidative stress, contributing to improved neuronal health and cognition.

scholarly journals Introducing HumanAPOEinto AβTransgenic Mouse Models

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leon M. Tai ◽  
Katherine L. Youmans ◽  
Lisa Jungbauer ◽  
Chunjiang Yu ◽  
Mary Jo LaDu
Keyword(s):  
Head Injury ◽  
Mouse Models ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Rapid Onset ◽  
Temporal Delay ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Significant Delay ◽  
Human Apoe ◽  
Plaque Deposition ◽  
5Xfad Mice

Apolipoprotein E (apoE) and apoE/amyloid-β(Aβ) transgenic (Tg) mouse models are critical to understanding apoE-isoform effects on Alzheimer's disease risk. Compared to wild type,apoE−/−mice exhibit neuronal deficits, similar to apoE4-Tg compared to apoE3-Tg mice, providing a model for Aβ-independent apoE effects on neurodegeneration. To determine the effects of apoE on Aβ-induced neuropathology,apoE−/−mice were crossed with Aβ-Tg mice, resulting in a significant delay in plaque deposition. Surprisingly, crossing human-apoE-Tg mice withapoE−/−/Aβ-Tg mice further delayed plaque deposition, which eventually developed in apoE4/Aβ-Tg mice prior to apoE3/Aβ-Tg. One approach to address hAPOE-induced temporal delay in Aβpathology is an additional insult, like head injury. Another is crossing human-apoE-Tg mice with Aβ-Tg mice that have rapid-onset Aβpathology. For example, because 5xFAD mice develop plaques by 2 months, the prediction is that human-apoE/5xFAD-Tg mice develop plaques around 6 months and 12 months before other human-apoE/Aβ-Tg mice. Thus, tractable models for human-apoE/Aβ-Tg mice continue to evolve.

scholarly journals Short-Term Fish Oil Treatment Changes the Composition of Phospholipids While Not Affecting the Expression of Mfsd2a Omega-3 Transporter in the Brain and Liver of the 5xFAD Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease

Nutrients ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Desanka Milanovic ◽  
Snjezana Petrovic ◽  
Marjana Brkic ◽  
Vladimir Avramovic ◽  
Milka Perovic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Fish Oil ◽  
Phospholipid Composition ◽  
Plaque Burden ◽  
Omega 3 ◽  
Short Term ◽  
5Xfad Mice ◽  
The Impact

Long-term fish oil (FO) supplementation is able to improve Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology. We aimed to determine the impact of short-term fish oil (FO) intake on phospholipids composition and plaque pathology in 5xFAD mice, a widely used animal model of AD. A 3-week-long FO supplementation administered at 3 months of age decreased the number of dense core plaques in the 5xFAD cortex and changed phospholipids in the livers and brains of wild-type (Wt) and 5xFAD mice. Livers of both genotypes responded by increase of n-3 and reciprocal decrease of n-6 fatty acids. In Wt brains, FO supplementation induced elevation of n-3 fatty acids and subsequent enhancement of n-6/n-3 ratio. However, in 5xFAD brains the improved n-6/n-3 ratio was mainly due to FO-induced decrease in arachidonic and adrenic n-6 fatty acids. Also, brain and liver abundance of n-3 fatty acids were strongly correlated in Wts, oppositely to 5xFADs where significant brain-liver correlation exists only for n-6 fatty acids. Expression of omega-3 transporter Mfs2a remained unchanged after FO supplementation. We have demonstrated that even a short-term FO intake improves the phospholipid composition and has a significant effect on plaque burden in 5xFAD brains when applied in early stages of AD pathology.

scholarly journals High Dietary Iron Disrupts Iron Homeostasis and Induces Amyloid-β and Phospho-τ Expression in the Hippocampus of Adult Wild-Type and APP/PS1 Transgenic Mice

2019 ◽  
Vol 149 (12) ◽  
pp. 2247-2254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Min Chen ◽  
Jiashuo Zheng ◽  
Guohao Liu ◽  
Chong Zeng ◽  
En Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Transgenic Mice ◽  
Iron Homeostasis ◽  
Iron Concentration ◽  
Amyloid Β ◽  
Dietary Iron ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Brain Iron ◽  
Sod Activity ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT Background Brain iron deposition is a feature of Alzheimer disease and may contribute to its development. However, the relative contribution of dietary iron remains unclear. Objectives We investigated the impact of high dietary iron on brain pathological changes and cognitive function in adult wild-type (WT) mice and amyloid precursor protein/presenilin 1 (APP/PS1) double transgenic mice. Methods Male WT mice and APP/PS1 mice aged 10 wk were fed either a control diet (66 mg Fe/kg) (WT-Ctrl and APP/PS1-Ctrl) or a high iron diet (14 g Fe/kg) (WT-High Fe and APP/PS1-High Fe) for 20 wk. Iron concentrations in brain regions were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Brain iron staining and amyloid-β (Aβ) immunostaining were performed. Protein expressions in the hippocampus were determined by immunoblotting. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde concentration were examined. Cognitive functions were tested with the Morris water maze system. Results In the hippocampus, APP/PS1-High Fe mice had significantly higher iron concentration (2.5-fold) and ferritin (2.0-fold) than APP/PS1-Ctrl mice (P < 0.001), and WT-High Fe mice had significantly higher ferritin (2.0-fold) than WT-Ctrl mice (P < 0.001). Interestingly, APP/PS1 mice had significantly higher iron concentration (2–3-fold) and ferritin (2–2.5-fold) than WT mice fed either diet (P < 0.001). Histological analysis indicated that iron accumulated in the hippocampal dentate gyrus region in APP/PS1 mice, consistent with the pattern of Aβ deposition. For both mouse strains, iron treatment induced Aβ and phospho-τ expression (1.5–3-fold) in the hippocampus, but had little impact on oxidative stress and cognitive function. Furthermore, APP/PS1 mice had significantly lower SOD activity and higher malondialdehyde concentration than WT mice in the hippocampus (P < 0.0001), paralleled by apparent cognitive dysfunction. Conclusions Dietary iron overload induces iron disorder and Aβ and phospho-τ expression in the hippocampus of adult WT and APP/PS1 transgenic mice.

scholarly journals Regulation of amyloid-β dynamics and pathology by the circadian clock

2018 ◽  
Vol 215 (4) ◽  
pp. 1059-1068 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geraldine J. Kress ◽  
Fan Liao ◽  
Julie Dimitry ◽  
Michelle R. Cedeno ◽  
Garret A. FitzGerald ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Circadian Rhythms ◽  
Circadian Clock ◽  
Amyloid Β ◽  
Amyloid Plaque ◽  
Brain Parenchyma ◽  
Targeted Deletion ◽  
Plaque Deposition ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Core Clock Gene

Nighttime restlessness and daytime drowsiness are common and early symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). This symptomology implicates dysfunctional biological timing, yet the role of the circadian system in AD pathogenesis is unknown. To evaluate the role of the circadian clock in amyloid-β (Aβ) dynamics and pathology, we used a mouse model of β-amyloidosis and disrupted circadian clock function either globally or locally in the brain via targeted deletion of the core clock gene Bmal1. Our results demonstrate that loss of central circadian rhythms leads to disruption of daily hippocampal interstitial fluid Aβ oscillations and accelerates amyloid plaque accumulation, whereas loss of peripheral Bmal1 in the brain parenchyma increases expression of Apoe and promotes fibrillar plaque deposition. These results provide evidence that both central circadian rhythms and local clock function influence Aβ dynamics and plaque formation and demonstrate mechanisms by which poor circadian hygiene may directly influence AD pathogenesis.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document