Functional difference in monoamine transmitters in the behaviorally abnormal mouse mutant (wriggle mouse sagami)

Neuronal nitric oxide synthase expression in cerebellar mutant mice

Nitric oxide (NO) is a diffusible, multifunctional signaling molecule found in many areas of the brain. NO signaling is involved in a wide array of neurophysiological functions including synaptogenesis, modulation of neurotransmitter release, synaptic plasticity, central nervous system blood flow and cell death. NO synthase (NOS) activity regulates the production of NO and the cerebellum expresses high levels of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in granule, stellate and basket cells. Cerebellar mutant mice provide excellent opportunities to study changes of NO/NOS concentrations and activities to gain a greater understanding of the roles of NO and NOS in cerebellar function. Here, we have reviewed the current understanding of the functional roles of NO and NOS in the cerebellum and present NO/NOS activities that have been described in various cerebellar mutant mice and NOS knockout mice. NO appears to exert neuroprotective effects at low to moderate concentrations, whereas NO becomes neurotoxic as the concentration increases. Excessive NO production can cause oxidative stress to neurons, ultimately impairing neuronal function and result in neuronal cell death. Based on their genetics and cerebellar histopathology, some of cerebellar mutant mice display similarities with human neurological conditions and may prove to be valuable models to study several human neurological disorders, such as autism and schizophrenia.

Pathology of idiopathic dystonia: findings from genetic animal models

Dystonia is a common movement disorder which is thought to represent a disease of the basal ganglia. However, the pathogenesis of the idiopathic dystonias, i.e. the neuroanatomic and neurochemical basis, is still a mystery. Research in dystonia is complicated by the existence of various phenotypic and genotypic subtypes of idiopathic dystonia, probably related to heterogeneous dysfunctions. In neurological diseases in which no obvious neuronal degeneration can be found, such as in idiopathic dystonia, the identification of a primary defect is difficult, because of the large number of chemically distinct, but functionally interrelated, neurotransmitter systems in the brain. The variable response to pharmacological agents in patients with idiopathic dystonia supports the notion that the underlying biochemical dysfunctions vary in the subtypes of idiopathic dystonia. Hence, in basic research it is important to clearly define the involved type of dystonia. Animal models of dystonias were described as limited. However, over the last years, there has been considerable progress in the evaluation of animal models for different types of dystonia. Apart from animal models of symptomatic dystonia, genetic animal models with inherited dystonia which occurs in the absence of pathomorphological alterations in brain and spinal cord are describe. This review will focus mainly on genetic animal models of different idiopathic dystonias and pathophysiological findings. In particular, in the case of the mutant dystonic (dt) rat, a model of generalized dystonia, and in the case of the genetically dystonic hamster (dt(sz)), a model of paroxysmal dystonic choreoathetosis has been used, as these show great promise in contributing to the identification of underlying mechanisms in idiopathic dystonias, although even a proper animal model will probably never be equivalent to a human disease. Several pathophysiological findings from animal models are in line with clinical observations in dystonic patients, indicating abnormalities not only in the basal ganglia and thalamic nuclei, but also in the cerebellum and brainstem. Through clinical studies and neurochemical data several similarities were found in the genetic animal models, although the current data indicates different defects in dystonic animals which is consistent with the notion that dystonia is a heterogenous disorder. Different supraspinal dysfunctions appear to lead to manifestation of dystonic movements and postures. In addition to increasing our understanding of the pathophysiology of idiopathic dystonia, animal models may help to improve therapeutic strategies for this movement disorder.

Abnormal synaptic architecture in the cerebellar cortex of a new dystonic mutant mouse, Wriggle Mouse Sagami

The 'Wriggle Mouse Sagami (WMS)' is a new neurological mutant with severe dystonic movements of the trunk and extremities whose pathological characters are transmitted by an autosomal recessive gene (wri). Manifestations first appear at 10 days to 2 weeks after birth and progress until 12 weeks of age. In spite of the severe dystonic movements, no marked abnormalities had been found in the cyto- or myeloarchitecture of the central nervous system or that of the peripheral nerves, except for the impaired development of the dendritic trees of the Purkinje cells. In this study we quantitatively demonstrated decreased synaptic connections of parallel fibers on the dendritic spines of the Purkinje cells as early as 2 weeks after birth. On the other hand, synaptic boutons on the dendritic shafts and somata of the Purkinje cells and synaptic bouton-like structures which contained synaptic vesicles but without synaptic membrane specialization, were significantly increased in the molecular layer at 9 weeks of age. Glutamic acid decarboxylase immunohistochemistry suggested that some of these increased synaptic boutons and other bouton-like structures may have originated in GABA interneurons, such as stellate cells, basket cells and Golgi cells, and in the cerebellar nuclei. Because of the severity of the manifestations, it appears that synaptic alteration in interneurons also occurs in the other parts of the CNS.