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Wawrzyniak A, Balawender K, Lalak R, Staszkiewicz R, Boroń D, Grabarek BO. Oligodendrocytes in the periaqueductal gray matter and the corpus callosum in adult male and female domestic sheep. Brain Res 2022; 1792:148036. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2022.148036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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Wawrzyniak A, Balawender K, Lalak R, Golan MP, Wróbel K, Boroń D, Staszkiewicz R, Grabarek BO. Distribution and Morphological Characteristics of Oligodendrocytes in Selected Areas of the Brain of Male and Female Red Kangaroos (Macropus rufus). Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12081035. [PMID: 36009098 PMCID: PMC9405871 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12081035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
This study was carried out on six adult red kangaroos of both sexes. To determine the location of the oligodendrocytes (OLGs) of the hippocampus (Hip) and corpus callosum (CC), the method of impregnation of the neuroglia with silver salts was applied. The iron distribution in the OLGs was determined by the histochemical method. The Nissl method was used to determine the location of the brain structure and to analyze the number of OLGs. In the Hip, these cells are located one beside another, mainly in blood vessels and neurons; in the neocortex (NC), they are located in layers I–VI; and in the CC, they are arranged in characteristic rows and accompany both nerve fibers and blood vessels. The analysis of the results obtained by the chosen methods in the Hip, NC, and CC in males and females did not show statistically significant differences in the distribution and location of the red kangaroo OLGs. The involvement of these cells is a physiological process that proceeds in a similar manner throughout the life of individuals and actively influences the metabolism of neurons and myelin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agata Wawrzyniak
- Department of Morphological Sciences, College of Medical Sciences, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Rzeszow, 35-315 Rzeszow, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Balawender
- Department of Morphological Sciences, College of Medical Sciences, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Rzeszow, 35-315 Rzeszow, Poland
- Correspondence:
| | - Roman Lalak
- Department of Animal Anatomy and Histology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 20-400 Lublin, Poland
| | - Maciej Przemysław Golan
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Innovative Therapies, Military Institute of Medicine in Warsaw, 04-141 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Konrad Wróbel
- Department of Morphological Sciences, College of Medical Sciences, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Rzeszow, 35-315 Rzeszow, Poland
| | - Dariusz Boroń
- Department of Histology, Cytophysiology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine in Zabrze, Academy of Silesia in Katowice, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine in Zabrze, Academy of Silesia in Katowice, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland
| | - Rafał Staszkiewicz
- Department of Histology, Cytophysiology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine in Zabrze, Academy of Silesia in Katowice, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland
- Department of Neurosurgery, 5th Military Clinical Hospital with the SP ZOZ Polyclinic in Krakow, 30-901 Krakow, Poland
| | - Beniamin Oskar Grabarek
- Department of Histology, Cytophysiology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine in Zabrze, Academy of Silesia in Katowice, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine in Zabrze, Academy of Silesia in Katowice, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland
- GynCentrum, Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Virology, 40-851 Katowice, Poland
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Abstract
The ability to associate memorized objects with their location in space gradually declines during normal aging and can drastically be affected by neurodegenerative diseases. This study investigates object-location paired-associates learning (PAL) in the grey mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus), a nonhuman primate model of brain aging. Touchscreen-based testing of 6 young adults (1–5 years) and 6 old adults (> 7 years) in the procedural rodent dPAL-task revealed significant age-related performance decline, evident in group differences in the percentage of correct decision during learning and the number of sessions needed to reach a predefined criterion. Response pattern analyses suggest decreased susceptibility to relative stimulus-position biases in young animals, facilitating PAL. Additional data from a subset of “overtrained” individuals (n = 7) and challenge sessions using a modified protocol (sPAL) further suggest that learning criteria routinely used in animal studies on PAL can underestimate the endpoint at which a stable performance is reached and that more conservative criteria are needed to improve construct validity of the task. To conclude, this is the first report of an age effect on dPAL and corroborates the role of mouse lemurs as valuable natural nonhuman primate models in aging research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Schmidtke
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
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Li SJ, Ren YD, Li J, Cao B, Ma C, Qin SS, Li XR. The role of iron in Parkinson's disease monkeys assessed by susceptibility weighted imaging and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Life Sci 2019; 240:117091. [PMID: 31760102 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2019.117091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Mounting evidences indicated that elevated iron levels in the substantia nigra (SN) have been concerned as the underlying mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease (PD). The present study used the 1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1, 2, 3, 6 -tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-treated cynomolgus monkeys for PD to evaluate the usability of SWI for assessing iron deposition in the cerebral nuclei of PD. The results showed that susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) phase values of the ipsilateral (MPTP-lesion side) SN of MPTP-treated monkeys were lower than those in the contralateral SN of MPTP-treated monkeys and the same side of Control monkeys, suggesting that iron deposition were elevated in the affected side SN of MPTP-treated monkeys. Whereas MPTP has not effects on the SWI phase values in other detected brain regions of monkeys, including red nucleus (RN), putamen (PUT) and caudate nucleus (CA). Furthermore, ICP-MS results showed that MPTP increased the iron levels in MPTP injection side, but no in the ipsilateral striatum. Additionally, MPTP treatment did not affect the calcium and manganese levels in the detected brain regions of monkeys. However, Pearson correlation analysis results indicated that there were not relationship between SWI phase values in MPTP-lesion side of SN with the behavioral score, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive cells number and iron levels in the MPTP-lesion side of midbrain. Taken together, the results confirm the involvement of SN iron accumulations in the MPTP-treated monkey models for PD, and indirectly verify the usability of SWI for the measurement of iron deposition in the cerebral nuclei of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shao-Jun Li
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, No. 22, Shuangyong Road, Nanning 530021, Guangxi Province, China
| | - Yan-De Ren
- Department of Radiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266003, Shandong Province, China.
| | - Jin Li
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, No. 6, Shuangyong Road, Nanning 530021, Guangxi Province, China
| | - Bin Cao
- Department of Radiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266003, Shandong Province, China
| | - Chi Ma
- Department of Radiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266003, Shandong Province, China
| | - Shan-Shan Qin
- Department of Radiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266003, Shandong Province, China
| | - Xiang-Rong Li
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, No. 6, Shuangyong Road, Nanning 530021, Guangxi Province, China.
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5
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Blanco MB, Dausmann KH, Faherty SL, Yoder AD. Tropical heterothermy is “cool”: The expression of daily torpor and hibernation in primates. Evol Anthropol 2018; 27:147-161. [DOI: 10.1002/evan.21588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Anne D. Yoder
- Duke Lemur Center; Durham North Carolina
- Department of Biology; Duke University; Durham North Carolina
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Gilissen EP, Leroy K, Yilmaz Z, Kövari E, Bouras C, Boom A, Poncelet L, Erwin JM, Sherwood CC, Hof PR, Brion J. A neuronal aging pattern unique to humans and common chimpanzees. Brain Struct Funct 2016; 221:647-64. [DOI: 10.1007/s00429-014-0931-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2014] [Accepted: 10/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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Gilissen EP, Staneva-Dobrovski L. Distinct types of lipofuscin pigment in the hippocampus and cerebellum of aged cheirogaleid primates. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2013; 296:1895-906. [PMID: 24124014 DOI: 10.1002/ar.22809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2012] [Accepted: 08/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The formation of autofluorescent lipopigment or lipofuscin is a highly consistent and reliable cytological change that correlates with cellular aging in postmitotic cells. One causal factor of lipofuscinogenesis involves free radical-induced lipid peroxidation. In mammals, dentate gyrus neurons and Purkinje cells are usually affected widely. In this study, we investigated the ultrastructure of lipofuscin deposits in large neurons of the dentate gyrus and in Purkinje cells of aged fat-tailed dwarf lemurs (Cheirogaleus medius Geoffroy, 1812) with electron and confocal microscopy and compared it with previous observations in other species. Cheirogaleid primates such as mouse and dwarf lemurs are archaic primates that provide interesting nonhuman models of aging. Our study revealed region-specific as well as species-specific characteristics of lipofuscin ultrastructure. This suggests differences in cellular metabolism and/or in organelles involved in lipofuscin production in cerebellar Purkinje cells and in hippocampal dentate gyrus neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel P Gilissen
- Department of African Zoology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium; School of Medicine, Laboratory of Histology and Neuropathology, Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium; Department of Anthropology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas
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Abstract
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a well-established tool in clinical practice and research on human neurological disorders. Translational MRI research utilizing rodent models of central nervous system (CNS) diseases is becoming popular with the increased availability of dedicated small animal MRI systems. Projects utilizing this technology typically fall into one of two categories: 1) true "pre-clinical" studies involving the use of MRI as a noninvasive disease monitoring tool which serves as a biomarker for selected aspects of the disease and 2) studies investigating the pathomechanism of known human MRI findings in CNS disease models. Most small animal MRI systems operate at 4.7-11.7 Tesla field strengths. Although the higher field strength clearly results in a higher signal-to-noise ratio, which enables higher resolution acquisition, a variety of artifacts and limitations related to the specific absorption rate represent significant challenges in these experiments. In addition to standard T1-, T2-, and T2*-weighted MRI methods, all of the currently available advanced MRI techniques have been utilized in experimental animals, including diffusion, perfusion, and susceptibility weighted imaging, functional magnetic resonance imaging, chemical shift imaging, heteronuclear imaging, and (1)H or (31)P MR spectroscopy. Selected MRI techniques are also exclusively utilized in experimental research, including manganese-enhanced MRI, and cell-specific/molecular imaging techniques utilizing negative contrast materials. In this review, we describe technical and practical aspects of small animal MRI and provide examples of different MRI techniques in anatomical imaging and tract tracing as well as several models of neurological disorders, including inflammatory, neurodegenerative, vascular, and traumatic brain and spinal cord injury models, and neoplastic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandar Denic
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905 USA
| | - Slobodan I. Macura
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905 USA
| | - Prasanna Mishra
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905 USA
| | - Jeffrey D. Gamez
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St. SW, Rochester, Minnesota 55905 USA
| | - Moses Rodriguez
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St. SW, Rochester, Minnesota 55905 USA
| | - Istvan Pirko
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St. SW, Rochester, Minnesota 55905 USA
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Nelly Joseph-Mathurin, Olene Dorieux, Audrey Kraska, Anne Bertrand, Mathieu Santin, Tayara NTE, Marc Dhenain. Magnetic resonance imaging in primates. The example of the mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus): From detection of pathological aging to therapeutic evaluations1. primatologie 2010. [DOI: 10.4000/primatologie.508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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Meguro R, Asano Y, Odagiri S, Li C, Shoumura K. Cellular and subcellular localizations of nonheme ferric and ferrous iron in the rat brain: a light and electron microscopic study by the perfusion-Perls and -Turnbull methods. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008; 71:205-22. [DOI: 10.1679/aohc.71.205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Reiko Meguro
- Department of Neuroanatomy, Cell Biology and Histology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine
| | - Yoshiya Asano
- Department of Neuroanatomy, Cell Biology and Histology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine
| | - Saori Odagiri
- Department of Neuroanatomy, Cell Biology and Histology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine
| | - Chengtai Li
- Department of Neuroanatomy, Cell Biology and Histology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine
| | - Kazuhiko Shoumura
- Department of Neuroanatomy, Cell Biology and Histology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine
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11
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Beltran WA, Vanore M, Ollivet F, Nemoz-Bertholet F, Aujard F, Clerc B, Chahory S. Ocular findings in two colonies of gray mouse lemurs (Microcebus murinus). Vet Ophthalmol 2007; 10:43-9. [PMID: 17204127 DOI: 10.1111/j.1463-5224.2007.00491.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine the incidence and describe the characteristics of cataracts and other ocular lesions found in two colonies of gray mouse lemurs (Microcebus murinus). ANIMALS STUDIED A total number of 218 mouse lemurs (age range: 4 months-11 years) were included in this study. All individuals were property of the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (France), and were housed either in Paris (colony #1: 75 animals examined), or in Brunoy (colony #2: 143 animals). METHODS Ocular examinations were performed on all animals before and after pupil dilation, and included slit-lamp biomicroscopy and indirect ophthalmoscopy. In both colonies, a limited number of individuals were re-examined between several months and 2 years following the initial eye examinations. The eyes of five mouse lemurs with incipient or immature cataracts that died during this period were collected, and processed for routine histopathologic examination. RESULTS A high incidence of cataracts was observed in both colonies (48% in colony #1; 21% in colony #2). Cataracts were predominantly bilateral, started in the anterior and/or posterior subcapsular area, and appeared to be slowly progressive. The earliest age at which lens opacities were observed was 3.5 years, and more than 50% of mouse lemurs over 7 years of age were diagnosed with cataracts. Complete cataracts led to blindness and were occasionally associated with other ocular lesions. CONCLUSION We report a high incidence of acquired, slowly progressive, bilateral cataracts in two colonies of mouse lemurs (Microcebus murinus). Further studies need to be conducted to determine the cause of this disease in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- William A Beltran
- Section of Ophthalmology, Department of Clinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6010, USA
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12
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Schenck JF, Zimmerman EA, Li Z, Adak S, Saha A, Tandon R, Fish KM, Belden C, Gillen RW, Barba A, Henderson DL, Neil W, O'Keefe T. High-field magnetic resonance imaging of brain iron in Alzheimer disease. Top Magn Reson Imaging 2007; 17:41-50. [PMID: 17179896 DOI: 10.1097/01.rmr.0000245455.59912.40] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Increased iron deposition in the brain may occur in several neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer disease (AD). Iron deposits shorten T2 relaxation times on T2-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) images. Iron-dependent contrast increases with magnetic field strength. We hypothesized that T2 mapping using 3 T MR imaging (MRI) can disclose differences between normal controls and AD subjects. METHODS High-resolution brain imaging protocols were developed and applied to 24 AD patients and 20 age-matched controls using 3 T MRI. Eight anatomical regions of interest were manually segmented, and T2 histograms were computed. A visual analysis technique, the heat map, was modified and applied to the large image data sets generated by these protocols. RESULTS A large number (163) of features from these histograms were examined, and 38 of these were significantly different (P < 0.05) between the groups. In the hippocampus, evidence was found for AD-related increases in iron deposition (shortened T2) and in the concentration of free tissue water (lengthened T2). Imaging of a section of postmortem brain before and after chemically extracting the iron established the presence of MRI-detectable iron in the hippocampus, cortex, and white matter in addition to brain regions traditionally viewed as containing high iron concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- John F Schenck
- General Electric Global Research Center, Schenectady, NY 12309, USA.
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13
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Abstract
BACKGROUND A table summarizing the primary literature on 19 species of longevous non-human primates, other than owl monkey, is presented. METHODS We prospectively quantitated the sleep of a longevous female owl monkey (Aotus azarae), aged >30 years, longitudinally for 2 years and also evaluated the senility-induced change in spinal curvature. RESULTS The mean daily total sleep time (TST) of this monkey ranged between 790 and 1106 minutes, and was markedly higher in comparison with its female progeny (aged 16 years and used as a control) whose daily TST during the same experimental period ranged between 612 and 822 minutes. CONCLUSIONS The calculated kyphotic index (KI) of 2.27 for this monkey, compared with the KIs 4.83 and 5.42, for its progeny and female grandprogeny (aged 1 year) respectively, confirmed the prominent spinal curvature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juri Suzuki
- Center for Human Evolution Modeling Research, Kyoto University-Primate Research Institute, Inuyama City, Japan.
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Bons N, Rieger F, Prudhomme D, Fisher A, Krause KH. Microcebus murinus: a useful primate model for human cerebral aging and Alzheimer's disease? Genes Brain Behav 2006; 5:120-30. [PMID: 16507003 DOI: 10.1111/j.1601-183x.2005.00149.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Age-associated dementia, in particular Alzheimer's disease (AD), will be a major concern of the 21st century. Research into normal brain aging and AD will therefore become increasingly important. As for other areas of medicine, the availability of good animal models will be a limiting factor for progress. Given the complexity of the human brain, the identification of appropriate primate models will be essential to further knowledge of the disease. In this review, we describe the features of brain aging and age-associated neurodegeneration in a small lemurian primate, the Microcebus murinus, also referred to as the mouse lemur. The mouse lemur has a relatively short life expectancy, and animals over 5 years of age are considered to be elderly. Among elderly mouse lemurs, the majority show normal brain aging, whereas approximately 20% develop neurodegeneration. This Microcebus age-associated neurodegeneration is characterized by a massive brain atrophy, abundant amyloid plaques, a cytoskeletal Tau pathology and a loss of cholinergic neurons. While elderly mouse lemurs with normal brain aging maintain memory function and social interaction, animals with age-associated neurodegeneration lose their cognitive and social capacities and demonstrate certain similarities with age-associated human AD. We conclude that M. murinus is an interesting primate model for the study of normal brain aging and the biochemical dysfunctions occurring in age-associated neurodegeneration. Mouse lemurs might also become an increasingly important model for the development of novel treatments in this domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Bons
- Institut BioPARK, Domaine de Chosal, Archamps, INSERM U 488, Hôpital du Kremlin-Bicêtre, Paris, France.
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Pirko I, Fricke ST, Johnson AJ, Rodriguez M, Macura SI. Magnetic resonance imaging, microscopy, and spectroscopy of the central nervous system in experimental animals. NeuroRx 2005; 2:250-64. [PMID: 15897949 PMCID: PMC1064990 DOI: 10.1602/neurorx.2.2.250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Over the last two decades, microscopic resolution in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques have been developed and extensively used in the study of animal models of human diseases. Standard MRI methods are frequently used in clinical studies and in the general clinical practice of human neurological diseases. This generates a need for similar studies in experimental animal research. Because small rodents are the most commonly used species as animal models of neurological diseases, the MRI techniques need to be able to provide microscopic resolution and high signal-to-noise ratio images in relatively short time. Small animal MRI systems use very high field-strength magnets, which results in higher signal to noise ratio; however, the contrast characteristics of live tissue are different at these field strengths. In addition to standard MRI techniques, several new applications have been implemented in experimental animals, including diffusion and perfusion studies, MR angiography, functional MRI studies, MRI tractography, proton and phosphorous spectroscopy, cellular and molecular imaging using novel contrast methods. Here we give an overview of how to establish a small animal imaging facility with the goal of CNS imaging. We describe the basic physical processes leading to MR signal generation, highlighting the differences between standard clinical MRI and small animal MRI. Finally, typical findings in the most common neurological disease categories and novel MRI/magnetic resonance spectroscopy methods used in their study are also described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Istvan Pirko
- University of Cincinnati, Department of Neurology, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267, USA.
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16
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Abstract
The brain has an unusually high concentration of iron, which is distributed in an unusual pattern unlike that in any other organ. The physiological role of this iron and the reasons for this pattern of distribution are not yet understood. There is increasing evidence that several neurodegenerative diseases are associated with altered brain iron metabolism. Understanding these dysmetabolic conditions may provide important information for their diagnosis and treatment. For many years the iron distribution in the human brain could be studied effectively only under postmortem conditions. This situation was changed dramatically by the finding that T2-weighted MR imaging at high field strength (initially 1.5 T) appears to demonstrate the pattern of iron distribution in normal brains and that this imaging technique can detect changes in brain iron concentrations associated with disease states. Up to the present time this imaging capability has been utilized in many research applications but it has not yet been widely applied in the routine diagnosis and management of neurodegenerative disorders. However, recent advances in the basic science of brain iron metabolism, the clinical understanding of neurodegenerative diseases and in MRI technology, particularly in the availability of clinical scanners operating at the higher field strength of 3 T, suggest that iron-dependent MR imaging may soon provide biomarkers capable of characterizing the presence and progression of important neurological disorders. Such biomarkers may be of crucial assistance in the development and utilization of effective new therapies for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, multiple sclerosis and other iron-related CNS disorders which are difficult to diagnose and treat.
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Affiliation(s)
- John F Schenck
- General Electric Global Research Center, Schenectady, New York 12309, USA.
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17
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Kaur D, Yantiri F, Rajagopalan S, Kumar J, Mo JQ, Boonplueang R, Viswanath V, Jacobs R, Yang L, Beal MF, DiMonte D, Volitaskis I, Ellerby L, Cherny RA, Bush AI, Andersen JK. Genetic or pharmacological iron chelation prevents MPTP-induced neurotoxicity in vivo: a novel therapy for Parkinson's disease. Neuron 2003; 37:899-909. [PMID: 12670420 DOI: 10.1016/s0896-6273(03)00126-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 478] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Studies on postmortem brains from Parkinson's patients reveal elevated iron in the substantia nigra (SN). Selective cell death in this brain region is associated with oxidative stress, which may be exacerbated by the presence of excess iron. Whether iron plays a causative role in cell death, however, is controversial. Here, we explore the effects of iron chelation via either transgenic expression of the iron binding protein ferritin or oral administration of the bioavailable metal chelator clioquinol (CQ) on susceptibility to the Parkinson's-inducing agent 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrapyridine (MPTP). Reduction in reactive iron by either genetic or pharmacological means was found to be well tolerated in animals in our studies and to result in protection against the toxin, suggesting that iron chelation may be an effective therapy for prevention and treatment of the disease.
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19
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Abstract
The application of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in the study of human disease using small animals has steadily evolved over the past two decades and strongly established the fields of "small animal MR imaging" and "MR microscopy." An increasing number of neuroscience related investigations now implement MR microscopy in their experiments. Research areas of growth pertaining to MR microscopy studies are focused on (1). phenotyping of genetically engineered mice models of human neurological diseases and (2). rodent brain atlases. MR microscopy can be performed in vitro on tissue specimens, ex vivo on brain slice preparations and in vivo (typically on rodents). Like most new imaging technologies, MR microscopy is technologically demanding and requires broad expertise. Uniform guidelines or "standards" of a given MR microscopy experiment are non-existent. The main focus therefore of this review will be on biological applications of MR microscopy and the experimental requirements. We also take a critical look at the biological information that small animal (rodent) MR imaging has provided in neuroscience research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helene Benveniste
- Medical Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Building 490, 30 Bell Avenue, Upton, NY 11793, USA.
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Bidmon HJ, Emde B, Oermann E, Kubitz R, Witte OW, Zilles K. Heme oxygenase-1 (HSP-32) and heme oxygenase-2 induction in neurons and glial cells of cerebral regions and its relation to iron accumulation after focal cortical photothrombosis. Exp Neurol 2001; 168:1-22. [PMID: 11170717 DOI: 10.1006/exnr.2000.7456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Cerebral ischemic injury results in the liberation of heme from degenerating heme-containing proteins. The neurotoxic heme is usually detoxified by the constitutive heme oxygenase-2 (HO-2) and its inducible isoform HO-1(heat shock protein 32) resulting in the formation of biliverdin which becomes reduced to bilirubin, carbon monoxide (CO), and iron. Biliverdin and bilirubin have antioxidative properties whereas CO is discussed as a signaling molecule. Iron if it remains free could catalyze Haber--Weiss and Fenton reactions causing the formation of highly toxic radicals. We have studied the alterations of cerebral HO-2 and HO-1 in relation to iron accumulations after defined cortical photothrombosis within the hindlimb area of the rat. HO-2 immunohistochemistry showed that the number of HO-2-positive neurons in most perilesional regions remained constant. However, much stronger systemic immunoreactivity for HO-2 was observed between days 1 and 7 postlesion. For HO-1 a systemic increase of immunoreactivity occurred also between days 1 and 7. In addition HO-1-positive astrocytes and microglia appeared as early as 4 h postlesion and increased up to day 3 followed by a sharp decline toward day 14 within the injured hemisphere. HO-1-positive astrocytes and microglia occurred in ipsilateral cortex, corpus callosum, hippocampus, striatum, and thalamic nuclei. Additionally an increase of HO-1 in myelin-associated globulin-positive oligodendrocytes was found in ipsilateral and contralateral cortex. Next to the lesion iron accumulation occurred after day 3 and increased strongly toward day 14 at times when HO-1 and -2 had decreased, suggesting that HO activity does not directly contribute to postlesional iron deposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- H J Bidmon
- Institute of Neuroanatomy, Heinrich-Heine-University, Moorenstrasse 5, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
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Gilissen EP, Jacobs RE, McGuinness ER, Allman JM. Topographical localization of lipofuscin pigment in the brain of the aged fat-tailed dwarf lemur (Cheirogaleus medius) and grey lesser mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus): comparison to iron localization. Am J Primatol 1999; 49:183-93. [PMID: 10466576 DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1098-2345(199910)49:2<183::aid-ajp8>3.0.co;2-t] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The present study was undertaken to explore the distribution of lipofuscin in the brain of cheirogaleids by autofluorescence and compare it to other studies of iron distribution. Aged dwarf (Cheirogaleus medius) and mouse (Microcebus murinus) lemurs provide a reliable model for the study of normal and pathological cerebral aging. Accumulation of lipofuscin, an age pigment derived by lipid peroxidation, constitutes the most reliable cytological change correlated with neuronal aging. Brain sections of four aged (8-15 year old) and 3 young (2-3 year old) animals were examined. Lipofuscin accumulation was observed in the aged animals but not in the young ones. Affected regions include the hippocampus (granular and pyramidal cells), where no iron accumulation was observed, the olfactory nucleus and the olfactory bulb (mitral cells), the basal forebrain, the hypothalamus, the cerebellum (Purkinje cells), the neocortex (essentially in the pyramidal cells), and the brainstem. Even though iron is known to catalyse lipid oxidation, our data indicate that iron deposits and lipofuscin accumulation are not coincident. Different biochemical and morphological cellular compartments might be involved in iron and lipofuscin deposition. The nonuniform distribution of lipofuscin indicates that brain structures are not equally sensitive to the factors causing lipofuscin accumulation. The small size, the rapid maturity, and the relatively short life expectancy of the cheirogaleids make them a good model system in which to investigate the mechanisms of lipofuscinogenesis in primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- E P Gilissen
- Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, USA.
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