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Lanzillotta C, Baniowska MR, Prestia F, Sette C, Nalesso V, Perluigi M, Barone E, Duchon A, Tramutola A, Herault Y, Di Domenico F. Shaping down syndrome brain cognitive and molecular changes due to aging using adult animals from the Ts66Yah murine model. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 196:106523. [PMID: 38705491 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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: 02/23/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS) is the most common condition with intellectual disability and is caused by trisomy of Homo sapiens chromosome 21 (HSA21). The increased dosage of genes on HSA21 is associated with early neurodevelopmental changes and subsequently at adult age with the development of Alzheimer-like cognitive decline. However, the molecular mechanisms promoting brain pathology along aging are still missing. The novel Ts66Yah model represents an evolution of the Ts65Dn, used in characterizing the progression of brain degeneration, and it manifest phenotypes closer to human DS condition. In this study we performed a longitudinal analysis (3-9 months) of adult Ts66Yah mice. Our data support the behavioural alterations occurring in Ts66Yah mice at older age with improvement in the detection of spatial memory defects and also a new anxiety-related phenotype. The evaluation of hippocampal molecular pathways in Ts66Yah mice, as effect of age, demonstrate the aberrant regulation of redox balance, proteostasis, stress response, metabolic pathways, programmed cell death and synaptic plasticity. Intriguingly, the genotype-driven changes observed in those pathways occur early promoting altered brain development and the onset of a condition of premature aging. In turn, aging may account for the subsequent hippocampal deterioration that fall in characteristic neuropathological features. Besides, the analysis of sex influence in the alteration of hippocampal mechanisms demonstrate only a mild effect. Overall, data collected in Ts66Yah provide novel and consolidated insights, concerning trisomy-driven processes that contribute to brain pathology in conjunction with aging. This, in turn, aids in bridging the existing gap in comprehending the intricate nature of DS phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Lanzillotta
- Department of Biochemical Sciences A. Rossi Fanelli, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Monika Rataj Baniowska
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Inserm, Institut de Génétique Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, IGBMC, UMR 7104- UMR-S 1258, F-67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Francesca Prestia
- Department of Biochemical Sciences A. Rossi Fanelli, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Sette
- Department of Biochemical Sciences A. Rossi Fanelli, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Valérie Nalesso
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Inserm, Institut de Génétique Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, IGBMC, UMR 7104- UMR-S 1258, F-67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Marzia Perluigi
- Department of Biochemical Sciences A. Rossi Fanelli, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Eugenio Barone
- Department of Biochemical Sciences A. Rossi Fanelli, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Arnaud Duchon
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Inserm, Institut de Génétique Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, IGBMC, UMR 7104- UMR-S 1258, F-67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Antonella Tramutola
- Department of Biochemical Sciences A. Rossi Fanelli, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Yann Herault
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Inserm, Institut de Génétique Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, IGBMC, UMR 7104- UMR-S 1258, F-67400 Illkirch, France.
| | - Fabio Di Domenico
- Department of Biochemical Sciences A. Rossi Fanelli, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
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D'Acunzo P, Argyrousi EK, Ungania JM, Kim Y, DeRosa S, Pawlik M, Goulbourne CN, Arancio O, Levy E. Mitovesicles secreted into the extracellular space of brains with mitochondrial dysfunction impair synaptic plasticity. Mol Neurodegener 2024; 19:34. [PMID: 38616258 PMCID: PMC11017499 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-024-00721-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hypometabolism tied to mitochondrial dysfunction occurs in the aging brain and in neurodegenerative disorders, including in Alzheimer's disease, in Down syndrome, and in mouse models of these conditions. We have previously shown that mitovesicles, small extracellular vesicles (EVs) of mitochondrial origin, are altered in content and abundance in multiple brain conditions characterized by mitochondrial dysfunction. However, given their recent discovery, it is yet to be explored what mitovesicles regulate and modify, both under physiological conditions and in the diseased brain. In this study, we investigated the effects of mitovesicles on synaptic function, and the molecular players involved. METHODS Hippocampal slices from wild-type mice were perfused with the three known types of EVs, mitovesicles, microvesicles, or exosomes, isolated from the brain of a mouse model of Down syndrome or of a diploid control and long-term potentiation (LTP) recorded. The role of the monoamine oxidases type B (MAO-B) and type A (MAO-A) in mitovesicle-driven LTP impairments was addressed by treatment of mitovesicles with the irreversible MAO inhibitors pargyline and clorgiline prior to perfusion of the hippocampal slices. RESULTS Mitovesicles from the brain of the Down syndrome model reduced LTP within minutes of mitovesicle addition. Mitovesicles isolated from control brains did not trigger electrophysiological effects, nor did other types of brain EVs (microvesicles and exosomes) from any genotype tested. Depleting mitovesicles of their MAO-B, but not MAO-A, activity eliminated their ability to alter LTP. CONCLUSIONS Mitovesicle impairment of LTP is a previously undescribed paracrine-like mechanism by which EVs modulate synaptic activity, demonstrating that mitovesicles are active participants in the propagation of cellular and functional homeostatic changes in the context of neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pasquale D'Acunzo
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 10962, Orangeburg, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, 10016, New York, NY, USA
| | - Elentina K Argyrousi
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University, 10027, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, 10027, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jonathan M Ungania
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 10962, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Yohan Kim
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 10962, Orangeburg, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, 10016, New York, NY, USA
| | - Steven DeRosa
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 10962, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Monika Pawlik
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 10962, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Chris N Goulbourne
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 10962, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Ottavio Arancio
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University, 10027, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, 10027, New York, NY, USA
| | - Efrat Levy
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 10962, Orangeburg, NY, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, 10016, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Pharmacology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, 10027, New York, NY, USA.
- NYU Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, 10016, New York, NY, USA.
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Hawley LE, Stringer M, Deal AJ, Folz A, Goodlett CR, Roper RJ. Sex-specific developmental alterations in DYRK1A expression in the brain of a Down syndrome mouse model. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 190:106359. [PMID: 37992782 PMCID: PMC10843801 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Aberrant neurodevelopment in Down syndrome (DS)-caused by triplication of human chromosome 21-is commonly attributed to gene dosage imbalance, linking overexpression of trisomic genes with disrupted developmental processes, with DYRK1A particularly implicated. We hypothesized that regional brain DYRK1A protein overexpression in trisomic mice varies over development in sex-specific patterns that may be distinct from Dyrk1a transcription, and reduction of Dyrk1a copy number from 3 to 2 in otherwise trisomic mice reduces DYRK1A, independent of other trisomic genes. DYRK1A overexpression varied with age, sex, and brain region, with peak overexpression on postnatal day (P) 6 in both sexes. Sex-dependent differences were also evident from P15-P24. Reducing Dyrk1a copy number confirmed that these differences depended on Dyrk1a gene dosage and not other trisomic genes. Trisomic Dyrk1a mRNA and protein expression were not highly correlated. Sex-specific patterns of DYRK1A overexpression during trisomic neurodevelopment may provide mechanistic targets for therapeutic intervention in DS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura E Hawley
- Department of Biology, Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis, 723 W. Michigan Street, SL306, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Megan Stringer
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis, 402 N. Blackford Street, LD124, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Abigail J Deal
- Department of Biology, Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis, 723 W. Michigan Street, SL306, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Andrew Folz
- Department of Biology, Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis, 723 W. Michigan Street, SL306, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Charles R Goodlett
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis, 402 N. Blackford Street, LD124, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Randall J Roper
- Department of Biology, Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis, 723 W. Michigan Street, SL306, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
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Gautier MK, Kelley CM, Lee SH, Alldred MJ, McDaid J, Mufson EJ, Stutzmann GE, Ginsberg SD. Maternal choline supplementation protects against age-associated cholinergic and GABAergic basal forebrain neuron degeneration in the Ts65Dn mouse model of Down syndrome and Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 188:106332. [PMID: 37890559 PMCID: PMC10752300 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS) is a genetic disorder caused by triplication of human chromosome 21. In addition to intellectual disability, DS is defined by a premature aging phenotype and Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuropathology, including septohippocampal circuit vulnerability and degeneration of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons (BFCNs). The Ts65Dn mouse model recapitulates key aspects of DS/AD pathology, namely age-associated atrophy of BFCNs and cognitive decline in septohippocampal-dependent behavioral tasks. We investigated whether maternal choline supplementation (MCS), a well-tolerated treatment modality, protects vulnerable BFCNs from age- and genotype-associated degeneration in trisomic offspring. We also examined the effect of trisomy, and MCS, on GABAergic basal forebrain parvalbumin neurons (BFPNs), an unexplored neuronal population in this DS model. Unbiased stereological analyses of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)-immunoreactive BFCNs and parvalbumin-immunoreactive BFPNs were conducted using confocal z-stacks of the medial septal nucleus and the vertical limb of the diagonal band (MSN/VDB) in Ts65Dn mice and disomic (2N) littermates at 3-4 and 10-12 months of age. MCS trisomic offspring displayed significant increases in ChAT-immunoreactive neuron number and density compared to unsupplemented counterparts, as well as increases in the area of the MSN/VDB occupied by ChAT-immunoreactive neuropil. MCS also rescued BFPN number and density in Ts65Dn offspring, a novel rescue of a non-cholinergic cell population. Furthermore, MCS prevented age-associated loss of BFCNs and MSN/VDB regional area in 2N offspring, indicating genotype-independent neuroprotective benefits. These findings demonstrate MCS provides neuroprotection of vulnerable BFCNs and non-cholinergic septohippocampal BFPNs, indicating this modality has translational value as an early life therapy for DS, as well as extending benefits to the aging population at large.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan K Gautier
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA; Pathobiology and Translational Medicine Program, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; NYU Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christy M Kelley
- Complex Adaptive Systems Initiative, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA; Institute for Future Health, Scottsdale, AZ, USA
| | - Sang Han Lee
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Melissa J Alldred
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - John McDaid
- Center for Neurodegenerative Disease and Therapeutics, Rosalind Franklin University/The Chicago Medical School, North Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Elliott J Mufson
- Departments of Translational Neuroscience and Neurology, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Grace E Stutzmann
- Center for Neurodegenerative Disease and Therapeutics, Rosalind Franklin University/The Chicago Medical School, North Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Stephen D Ginsberg
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA; NYU Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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Lisgaras CP, Scharfman HE. Interictal spikes in Alzheimer's disease: Preclinical evidence for dominance of the dentate gyrus and cholinergic control by the medial septum. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 187:106294. [PMID: 37714307 PMCID: PMC10617404 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Interictal spikes (IIS) are a common type of abnormal electrical activity in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and preclinical models. The brain regions where IIS are largest are not known but are important because such data would suggest sites that contribute to IIS generation. Because hippocampus and cortex exhibit altered excitability in AD models, we asked which areas dominate the activity during IIS along the cortical-CA1-dentate gyrus (DG) dorso-ventral axis. Because medial septal (MS) cholinergic neurons are overactive when IIS typically occur, we also tested the novel hypothesis that silencing the MS cholinergic neurons selectively would reduce IIS. We used mice that simulate aspects of AD: Tg2576 mice, presenilin 2 (PS2) knockout mice and Ts65Dn mice. To selectively silence MS cholinergic neurons, Tg2576 mice were bred with choline-acetyltransferase (ChAT)-Cre mice and offspring were injected in the MS with AAV encoding inhibitory designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs). We recorded local field potentials along the cortical-CA1-DG axis using silicon probes during wakefulness, slow-wave sleep (SWS) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. We detected IIS in all transgenic or knockout mice but not age-matched controls. IIS were detectable throughout the cortical-CA1-DG axis and occurred primarily during REM sleep. In all 3 mouse lines, IIS amplitudes were significantly greater in the DG granule cell layer vs. CA1 pyramidal layer or overlying cortex. Current source density analysis showed robust and early current sources in the DG, and additional sources in CA1 and the cortex also. Selective chemogenetic silencing of MS cholinergic neurons significantly reduced IIS rate during REM sleep without affecting the overall duration, number of REM bouts, latency to REM sleep, or theta power during REM. Notably, two control interventions showed no effects. Consistent maximal amplitude and strong current sources of IIS in the DG suggest that the DG is remarkably active during IIS. In addition, selectively reducing MS cholinergic tone, at times when MS is hyperactive, could be a new strategy to reduce IIS in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christos Panagiotis Lisgaras
- Departments of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Neuroscience & Physiology, and Psychiatry, and the Neuroscience Institute New York University Langone Health, 550 First Ave., New York, NY 10016, United States of America; Center for Dementia Research, The Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, New York State Office of Mental Health, 140 Old Orangeburg Road, Bldg. 35, Orangeburg, NY 10962, United States of America.
| | - Helen E Scharfman
- Departments of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Neuroscience & Physiology, and Psychiatry, and the Neuroscience Institute New York University Langone Health, 550 First Ave., New York, NY 10016, United States of America; Center for Dementia Research, The Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, New York State Office of Mental Health, 140 Old Orangeburg Road, Bldg. 35, Orangeburg, NY 10962, United States of America
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Fronza MG, Alves D, Praticò D, Savegnago L. The neurobiology and therapeutic potential of multi-targeting β-secretase, glycogen synthase kinase 3β and acetylcholinesterase in Alzheimer's disease. Ageing Res Rev 2023; 90:102033. [PMID: 37595640 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2023.102033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, affecting almost 50 million of people around the world, characterized by a complex and age-related progressive pathology with projections to duplicate its incidence by the end of 2050. AD pathology has two major hallmarks, the amyloid beta (Aβ) peptides accumulation and tau hyperphosphorylation, alongside with several sub pathologies including neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, loss of neurogenesis and synaptic dysfunction. In recent years, extensive research pointed out several therapeutic targets which have shown promising effects on modifying the course of the disease in preclinical models of AD but with substantial failure when transposed to clinic trials, suggesting that modulating just an isolated feature of the pathology might not be sufficient to improve brain function and enhance cognition. In line with this, there is a growing consensus that an ideal disease modifying drug should address more than one feature of the pathology. Considering these evidence, β-secretase (BACE1), Glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) has emerged as interesting therapeutic targets. BACE1 is the rate-limiting step in the Aβ production, GSK-3β is considered the main kinase responsible for Tau hyperphosphorylation, and AChE play an important role in modulating memory formation and learning. However, the effects underlying the modulation of these enzymes are not limited by its primarily functions, showing interesting effects in a wide range of impaired events secondary to AD pathology. In this sense, this review will summarize the involvement of BACE1, GSK-3β and AChE on synaptic function, neuroplasticity, neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. Additionally, we will present and discuss new perspectives on the modulation of these pathways on AD pathology and future directions on the development of drugs that concomitantly target these enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana G Fronza
- Neurobiotechnology Research Group (GPN) - Centre for Technology Development CDTec, Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel), Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Diego Alves
- Laboratory of Clean Organic Synthesis (LASOL), Center for Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Food Sciences (CCQFA), UFPel, RS, Brazil
| | - Domenico Praticò
- Alzheimer's Center at Temple - ACT, Temple University, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Lucielli Savegnago
- Neurobiotechnology Research Group (GPN) - Centre for Technology Development CDTec, Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel), Pelotas, RS, Brazil.
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Rusu B, Kukreja B, Wu T, Dan SJ, Feng MY, Kalish BT. Single-Nucleus Profiling Identifies Accelerated Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cell Senescence in a Mouse Model of Down Syndrome. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0147-23.2023. [PMID: 37491366 PMCID: PMC10449487 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0147-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS), the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability, is associated with lifelong cognitive deficits. However, the mechanisms by which triplication of chromosome 21 genes drive neuroinflammation and cognitive dysfunction are poorly understood. Here, using the Ts65Dn mouse model of DS, we performed an integrated single-nucleus ATAC and RNA-sequencing (snATAC-seq and snRNA-seq) analysis of the adult cortex. We identified cell type-specific transcriptional and chromatin-associated changes in the Ts65Dn cortex, including regulators of neuroinflammation, transcription and translation, myelination, and mitochondrial function. We discovered enrichment of a senescence-associated transcriptional signature in Ts65Dn oligodendrocyte (OL) precursor cells (OPCs) and epigenetic changes consistent with a loss of heterochromatin. We found that senescence is restricted to a subset of OPCs concentrated in deep cortical layers. Treatment of Ts65Dn mice with a senescence-reducing flavonoid rescued cortical OPC proliferation, restored microglial homeostasis, and improved contextual fear memory. Together, these findings suggest that cortical OPC senescence may be an important driver of neuropathology in DS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Rusu
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1A8, Canada
- Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Bharti Kukreja
- Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Taiyi Wu
- Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Sophie J Dan
- Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1A8, Canada
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1A8, Canada
| | - Min Yi Feng
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1A8, Canada
- Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Brian T Kalish
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1A8, Canada
- Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
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Overk C, Fiorini E, Babolin C, Vukicevic M, Morici C, Madani R, Eligert V, Kosco-Vilbois M, Roberts A, Becker A, Pfeifer A, Mobley WC. Modeling Alzheimer's disease related phenotypes in the Ts65Dn mouse: impact of age on Aβ, Tau, pTau, NfL, and behavior. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1202208. [PMID: 37449271 PMCID: PMC10336548 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1202208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction People with DS are highly predisposed to Alzheimer's disease (AD) and demonstrate very similar clinical and pathological features. Ts65Dn mice are widely used and serve as the best-characterized animal model of DS. Methods We undertook studies to characterize age-related changes for AD-relevant markers linked to Aβ, Tau, and phospho-Tau, axonal structure, inflammation, and behavior. Results We found age related changes in both Ts65Dn and 2N mice. Relative to 2N mice, Ts65Dn mice showed consistent increases in Aβ40, insoluble phospho-Tau, and neurofilament light protein. These changes were correlated with deficits in learning and memory. Discussion These data have implications for planning future experiments aimed at preventing disease-related phenotypes and biomarkers. Interventions should be planned to address specific manifestations using treatments and treatment durations adequate to engage targets to prevent the emergence of phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassia Overk
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Amanda Roberts
- Animal Models Core Facility, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Ann Becker
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | | | - William C. Mobley
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
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Ishihara K, Kawashita E, Akiba S. Bio-Metal Dyshomeostasis-Associated Acceleration of Aging and Cognitive Decline in Down Syndrome. Biol Pharm Bull 2023; 46:1169-1175. [PMID: 37661395 DOI: 10.1248/bpb.b23-00131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS), which is caused by triplication of human chromosome 21 (Hsa21), exhibits some physical signs of accelerated aging, such as graying hair, wrinkles and menopause at an unusually young age. Development of early-onset Alzheimer's disease, which is frequently observed in adults with DS, is also suggested to occur due to accelerated aging of the brain. Several Hsa21 genes are suggested to be responsible for the accelerated aging in DS. In this review, we summarize these candidate genes and possible molecular mechanisms, and discuss the related key factors. In particular, we focus on copper, an essential trace element, as a key factor in the accelerated aging in DS. In addition, the physiological significance of brain copper accumulation in cognitive impairment is discussed. We herein provide our hypothesis on the copper dyshomeostasis-based pathophysiology of DS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keiichi Ishihara
- Department of Pathological Biochemistry (Currently known as Laboratory of Pathological Biochemistry), Kyoto Pharmaceutical University
| | - Eri Kawashita
- Department of Pathological Biochemistry (Currently known as Laboratory of Pathological Biochemistry), Kyoto Pharmaceutical University
| | - Satoshi Akiba
- Department of Pathological Biochemistry (Currently known as Laboratory of Pathological Biochemistry), Kyoto Pharmaceutical University
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Mumford P, Tosh J, Anderle S, Gkanatsiou Wikberg E, Lau G, Noy S, Cleverley K, Saito T, Saido TC, Yu E, Brinkmalm G, Portelius E, Blennow K, Zetterberg H, Tybulewicz V, Fisher EMC, Wiseman FK. Genetic Mapping of APP and Amyloid-β Biology Modulation by Trisomy 21. J Neurosci 2022; 42:6453-6468. [PMID: 35835549 PMCID: PMC9398545 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0521-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals who have Down syndrome (DS) frequently develop early onset Alzheimer's disease (AD), a neurodegenerative condition caused by the buildup of aggregated amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau proteins in the brain. Aβ is produced by amyloid precursor protein (APP), a gene located on chromosome 21. People who have DS have three copies of chromosome 21 and thus also an additional copy of APP; this genetic change drives the early development of AD in these individuals. Here we use a combination of next-generation mouse models of DS (Tc1, Dp3Tyb, Dp(10)2Yey and Dp(17)3Yey) and a knockin mouse model of Aβ accumulation (AppNL-F ) to determine how chromosome 21 genes, other than APP, modulate APP/Aβ in the brain when in three copies. Using both male and female mice, we demonstrate that three copies of other chromosome 21 genes are sufficient to partially ameliorate Aβ accumulation in the brain. We go on to identify a subregion of chromosome 21 that contains the gene(s) causing this decrease in Aβ accumulation and investigate the role of two lead candidate genes, Dyrk1a and Bace2 Thus, an additional copy of chromosome 21 genes, other than APP, can modulate APP/Aβ in the brain under physiological conditions. This work provides critical mechanistic insight into the development of disease and an explanation for the typically later age of onset of dementia in people who have AD in DS, compared with those who have familial AD caused by triplication of APP SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Trisomy of chromosome 21 is a commonly occurring genetic risk factor for early-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD), which has been previously attributed to people with Down syndrome having three copies of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) gene, which is encoded on chromosome 21. However, we have shown that an extra copy of other chromosome 21 genes modifies AD-like phenotypes independently of APP copy number (Wiseman et al., 2018; Tosh et al., 2021). Here, we use a mapping approach to narrow down the genetic cause of the modulation of pathology, demonstrating that gene(s) on chromosome 21 decrease Aβ accumulation in the brain, independently of alterations to full-length APP or C-terminal fragment abundance and that just 38 genes are sufficient to cause this.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paige Mumford
- The UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
| | - Justin Tosh
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
| | - Silvia Anderle
- The UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
| | - Eleni Gkanatsiou Wikberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg S-431 80, Sweden
| | - Gloria Lau
- The UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
| | - Sue Noy
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
| | - Karen Cleverley
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
| | - Takashi Saito
- Laboratory for Proteolytic Neuroscience, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako-shi, Saitama Japan, 351-0198
| | - Takaomi C Saido
- Laboratory for Proteolytic Neuroscience, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako-shi, Saitama Japan, 351-0198
| | - Eugene Yu
- Genetics and Genomics Program and Department of Cancer Genetics and Genomics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Children's Guild Foundation Down Syndrome Research Program, Buffalo, New York NY 14263
| | - Gunnar Brinkmalm
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg S-431 80, Sweden
| | - Erik Portelius
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg S-431 80, Sweden
| | - Kaj Blennow
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg S-431 80, Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal S-43180, Sweden
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- The UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg S-431 80, Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal S-43180, Sweden
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
- Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hong Kong, China
| | - Victor Tybulewicz
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College, London, W12 0NN, United Kingdom
- LonDownS: London Down Syndrome Consortium
| | - Elizabeth M C Fisher
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
- LonDownS: London Down Syndrome Consortium
| | - Frances K Wiseman
- The UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
- LonDownS: London Down Syndrome Consortium
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11
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Farrell C, Mumford P, Wiseman FK. Rodent Modeling of Alzheimer's Disease in Down Syndrome: In vivo and ex vivo Approaches. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:909669. [PMID: 35747206 PMCID: PMC9209729 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.909669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
There are an estimated 6 million people with Down syndrome (DS) worldwide. In developed countries, the vast majority of these individuals will develop Alzheimer's disease neuropathology characterized by the accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques and tau neurofibrillary tangles within the brain, which leads to the early onset of dementia (AD-DS) and reduced life-expectancy. The mean age of onset of clinical dementia is ~55 years and by the age of 80, approaching 100% of individuals with DS will have a dementia diagnosis. DS is caused by trisomy of chromosome 21 (Hsa21) thus an additional copy of a gene(s) on the chromosome must cause the development of AD neuropathology and dementia. Indeed, triplication of the gene APP which encodes the amyloid precursor protein is sufficient and necessary for early onset AD (EOAD), both in people who have and do not have DS. However, triplication of other genes on Hsa21 leads to profound differences in neurodevelopment resulting in intellectual disability, elevated incidence of epilepsy and perturbations to the immune system. This different biology may impact on how AD neuropathology and dementia develops in people who have DS. Indeed, genes on Hsa21 other than APP when in three-copies can modulate AD-pathogenesis in mouse preclinical models. Understanding this biology better is critical to inform drug selection for AD prevention and therapy trials for people who have DS. Here we will review rodent preclinical models of AD-DS and how these can be used for both in vivo and ex vivo (cultured cells and organotypic slice cultures) studies to understand the mechanisms that contribute to the early development of AD in people who have DS and test the utility of treatments to prevent or delay the development of disease.
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12
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Tallino S, Winslow W, Bartholomew SK, Velazquez R. Temporal and brain region-specific elevations of soluble Amyloid-β 40-42 in the Ts65Dn mouse model of Down syndrome and Alzheimer's disease. Aging Cell 2022; 21:e13590. [PMID: 35290711 PMCID: PMC9009111 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Revised: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS) is a leading cause of intellectual disability that also results in hallmark Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathologies such as amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques and hyperphosphorylated tau. The Ts65Dn mouse model is commonly used to study DS, as trisomic Ts65Dn mice carry 2/3 of the triplicated gene homologues as occur in human DS. The Ts65Dn strain also allows investigation of mechanisms common to DS and AD pathology, with many of these triplicated genes implicated in AD; for example, trisomic Ts65Dn mice overproduce amyloid precursor protein (APP), which is then processed into soluble Aβ40-42 fragments. Notably, Ts65Dn mice show alterations to the basal forebrain, which parallels the loss of function in this region observed in DS and AD patients early on in disease progression. However, a complete picture of soluble Aβ40-42 accumulation in a region-, age-, and sex-specific manner has not yet been characterized in the Ts65Dn model. Here, we show that trisomic mice accumulate soluble Aβ40-42 in the basal forebrain, frontal cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum in an age-specific manner, with elevation in the frontal cortex and hippocampus as early as 4 months of age. Furthermore, we detected sex differences in accumulation of Aβ40-42 within the basal forebrain, with females having significantly higher Aβ40-42 at 7-8 months of age. Lastly, we show that APP expression in the basal forebrain and hippocampus inversely correlates with Aβ40-42 levels. This spatial and temporal characterization of soluble Aβ40-42 in the Ts65Dn model allows for further exploration of the role soluble Aβ plays in the progression of other AD-like pathologies in these key brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Savannah Tallino
- Arizona State University‐Banner Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center at the Biodesign Institute Arizona State University Tempe Arizona USA
- School of Life Sciences Arizona State University Tempe Arizona USA
| | - Wendy Winslow
- Arizona State University‐Banner Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center at the Biodesign Institute Arizona State University Tempe Arizona USA
| | - Samantha K. Bartholomew
- Arizona State University‐Banner Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center at the Biodesign Institute Arizona State University Tempe Arizona USA
| | - Ramon Velazquez
- Arizona State University‐Banner Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center at the Biodesign Institute Arizona State University Tempe Arizona USA
- School of Life Sciences Arizona State University Tempe Arizona USA
- Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium Phoenix Arizona USA
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13
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Capsoni S, Cattaneo A. Getting Into the Brain: The Intranasal Approach to Enhance the Delivery of Nerve Growth Factor and Its Painless Derivative in Alzheimer’s Disease and Down Syndrome. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:773347. [PMID: 35360160 PMCID: PMC8961408 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.773347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The neurotrophin Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) holds a great potential as a therapeutic candidate for the treatment of neurological diseases. However, its safe and effective delivery to the brain is limited by the fact that NGF needs to be selectively targeted to the brain, to avoid severe side effects such as pain and to bypass the blood brain barrier. In this perspective, we will summarize the different approaches that have been used, or are currently applied, to deliver NGF to the brain, during preclinical and clinical trials to develop NGF as a therapeutic drug for Alzheimer’s disease. We will focus on the intranasal delivery of NGF, an approach that is used to deliver proteins to the brain in a non-invasive, safe, and effective manner minimizing systemic exposure. We will also describe the main experimental facts related to the effective intranasal delivery of a mutant form of NGF [painless NGF, human nerve growth factor painless (hNGFp)] in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease and compare it to other ways to deliver NGF to the brain. We will also report new data on the application of intranasal delivery of hNGFp in Down Syndrome mouse model. These new data extend the therapeutic potential of hNGFp for the treatment of the dementia that is progressively associated to Down Syndrome. In conclusion, we will show how this approach can be a promising strategy and a potential solution for other unmet medical needs of safely and effectively delivering this neuroprotective neurotrophin to the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Capsoni
- Bio@SNS Laboratory of Biology, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy
- Section of Physiology, Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
- *Correspondence: Simona Capsoni,
| | - Antonino Cattaneo
- Bio@SNS Laboratory of Biology, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy
- European Brain Research Institute–Fondazione Rita Levi-Montalcini, Rome, Italy
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14
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Do Carmo S, Kannel B, Cuello AC. The Nerve Growth Factor Metabolic Pathway Dysregulation as Cause of Alzheimer's Cholinergic Atrophy. Cells 2021; 11:16. [PMID: 35011577 PMCID: PMC8750266 DOI: 10.3390/cells11010016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The cause of the loss of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons (BFCNs) and their terminal synapses in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus in Alzheimer's disease (AD) has provoked a decades-long controversy. The cholinergic phenotype of this neuronal system, involved in numerous cognitive mechanisms, is tightly dependent on the target-derived nerve growth factor (NGF). Consequently, the loss of BFCNs cholinergic phenotype in AD was initially suspected to be due to an NGF trophic failure. However, in AD there is a normal NGF synthesis and abundance of the NGF precursor (proNGF), therefore the NGF trophic failure hypothesis for the atrophy of BCNs was abandoned. In this review, we discuss the history of NGF-dependency of BFCNs and the atrophy of these neurons in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Further to it, we propose that trophic factor failure explains the BFCNs atrophy in AD. We discuss evidence of the occurrence of a brain NGF metabolic pathway, the dysregulation of which, in AD explains the severe deficiency of NGF trophic support for the maintenance of BFCNs cholinergic phenotype. Finally, we revise recent evidence that the NGF metabolic dysregulation in AD pathology starts at preclinical stages. We also propose that the alteration of NGF metabolism-related markers in body fluids might assist in the AD preclinical diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Do Carmo
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y6, Canada;
| | - Benjamin Kannel
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada;
| | - A. Claudio Cuello
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y6, Canada;
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada;
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0C7, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology, Oxford University, Oxford OX1 3QT, UK
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15
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Freeburn A, Munn RGK. Signalling pathways contributing to learning and memory deficits in the Ts65Dn mouse model of Down syndrome. Neuronal Signal 2021; 5:NS20200011. [PMID: 33763235 DOI: 10.1042/NS20200011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS) is a genetic trisomic disorder that produces life-long changes in physiology and cognition. Many of the changes in learning and memory seen in DS are reminiscent of disorders involving the hippocampal/entorhinal circuit. Mouse models of DS typically involve trisomy of murine chromosome 16 is homologous for many of the genes triplicated in human trisomy 21, and provide us with good models of changes in, and potential pharmacotherapy for, human DS. Recent careful dissection of the Ts65Dn mouse model of DS has revealed differences in key signalling pathways from the basal forebrain to the hippocampus and associated rhinal cortices, as well as changes in the microstructure of the hippocampus itself. In vivo behavioural and electrophysiological studies have shown that Ts65Dn animals have difficulties in spatial memory that mirror hippocampal deficits, and have changes in hippocampal electrophysiological phenomenology that may explain these differences, and align with expectations generated from in vitro exploration of this model. Finally, given the existing data, we will examine the possibility for pharmacotherapy for DS, and outline the work that remains to be done to fully understand this system.
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16
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Abstract
Cholinergic signaling is critical for cognitive function. The basal forebrain is the major cholinergic output of the central nervous system. Degeneration of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Mouse models are invaluable tools in disease research and have been used to study AD for over 25 years. However, animal models of AD vary greatly with respect to the degree of cholinergic degeneration observed. The following review will outline the most influential animal models of AD with an emphasis on the basal forebrain cholinergic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arman Shekari
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Margaret Fahnestock
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
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17
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Cisterna B, Sobolev AP, Costanzo M, Malatesta M, Zancanaro C. Combined Microscopic and Metabolomic Approach to Characterize the Skeletal Muscle Fiber of the Ts65Dn Mouse, A Model of Down Syndrome. Microsc Microanal 2020; 26:1014-1023. [PMID: 32867866 DOI: 10.1017/s143192762002437x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS) is a genetically based disease caused by triplication of chromosome 21. DS is characterized by severe muscle weakness associated with motor deficits; however, understanding the DS-associated skeletal muscle condition is limited. In this study, we used a combined methodological approach involving light and electron microscopy, as well as nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy metabolomics, to investigate morphology and composition of the quadriceps muscles in the Ts65Dn mouse, a model of DS, to identify structural and/or functional trisomy-associated alterations. Morphometric analysis demonstrated a larger size of myofibers in trisomic versus euploid mice; however, myofibrils were thinner and contained higher amounts of mitochondria and lipid droplets. In trisomic mice, magnetic resonance spectroscopy showed a tendency to an overall increase in muscle metabolites involved in protein synthesis. These data strongly suggest that in DS, a sarcoplasmic hypertrophy associated with myofibril loss characterizes quadriceps myofibers. In addition, large-sized mitochondria suggestive of impaired fission/fusion events, as well as metabolites modifications suggestive of decreased mitochondrial function, were found in the trisomic muscle. Albeit preliminary, the results provided by this novel approach consistently indicate structural and compositional alterations of the DS skeletal muscle, which are typical of early aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Cisterna
- Anatomy and Histology Section, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie 8, VeronaI-37134, Italy
| | - Anatoly P Sobolev
- Magnetic Resonance Laboratory "Annalaura Segre", Institute for Biological Systems, National Research Council, via Salaria km 29.300, Monterotondo, RomeI-00015, Italy
| | - Manuela Costanzo
- Anatomy and Histology Section, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie 8, VeronaI-37134, Italy
| | - Manuela Malatesta
- Anatomy and Histology Section, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie 8, VeronaI-37134, Italy
| | - Carlo Zancanaro
- Anatomy and Histology Section, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie 8, VeronaI-37134, Italy
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18
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Bracko O, Vinarcsik LK, Cruz Hernández JC, Ruiz-Uribe NE, Haft-Javaherian M, Falkenhain K, Ramanauskaite EM, Ali M, Mohapatra A, Swallow MA, Njiru BN, Muse V, Michelucci PE, Nishimura N, Schaffer CB. High fat diet worsens Alzheimer's disease-related behavioral abnormalities and neuropathology in APP/PS1 mice, but not by synergistically decreasing cerebral blood flow. Sci Rep 2020; 10:9884. [PMID: 32555372 PMCID: PMC7303150 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-65908-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [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: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Obesity is linked to increased risk for and severity of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Cerebral blood flow (CBF) reductions are an early feature of AD and are also linked to obesity. We recently showed that non-flowing capillaries, caused by adhered neutrophils, contribute to CBF reduction in mouse models of AD. Because obesity could exacerbate the vascular inflammation likely underlying this neutrophil adhesion, we tested links between obesity and AD by feeding APP/PS1 mice a high fat diet (Hfd) and evaluating behavioral, physiological, and pathological changes. We found trends toward poorer memory performance in APP/PS1 mice fed a Hfd, impaired social interactions with either APP/PS1 genotype or a Hfd, and synergistic impairment of sensory-motor function in APP/PS1 mice fed a Hfd. The Hfd led to increases in amyloid-beta monomers and plaques in APP/PS1 mice, as well as increased brain inflammation. These results agree with previous reports showing obesity exacerbates AD-related pathology and symptoms in mice. We used a crowd-sourced, citizen science approach to analyze imaging data to determine the impact of the APP/PS1 genotype and a Hfd on capillary stalling and CBF. Surprisingly, we did not see an increase in the number of non-flowing capillaries or a worsening of the CBF deficit in APP/PS1 mice fed a Hfd as compared to controls, suggesting that capillary stalling is not a mechanistic link between a Hfd and increased severity of AD in mice. Reducing capillary stalling by blocking neutrophil adhesion improved CBF and short-term memory function in APP/PS1 mice, even when fed a Hfd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Bracko
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Lindsay K Vinarcsik
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | | | - Nancy E Ruiz-Uribe
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | | | - Kaja Falkenhain
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | | | - Muhammad Ali
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Aditi Mohapatra
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Madisen A Swallow
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Brendah N Njiru
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Victorine Muse
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | | | - Nozomi Nishimura
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Chris B Schaffer
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
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Cannavo C, Tosh J, Fisher EMC, Wiseman FK. Using mouse models to understand Alzheimer's disease mechanisms in the context of trisomy of chromosome 21. Prog Brain Res 2019; 251:181-208. [PMID: 32057307 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2019.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
People who have Down syndrome are at significantly elevated risk of developing early onset Alzheimer's disease that causes dementia (AD-DS). Here we review recent progress in modeling the development of AD-DS in mouse models. These studies provide insight into mechanisms underlying Alzheimer's disease and generate new clinical research questions. In addition, they suggest potential new targets for disease prevention therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Cannavo
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom; UK Dementia Research Institute at University College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Justin Tosh
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth M C Fisher
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom; The London Down Syndrome Consortium (LonDownS), London, United Kingdom
| | - Frances K Wiseman
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom; The London Down Syndrome Consortium (LonDownS), London, United Kingdom; UK Dementia Research Institute at University College, London, United Kingdom.
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20
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Rueda N, Flórez J, Dierssen M, Martínez-Cué C. Translational validity and implications of pharmacotherapies in preclinical models of Down syndrome. Prog Brain Res 2019; 251:245-268. [PMID: 32057309 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2019.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders are challenging to study in the laboratory, and despite a large investment, few novel treatments have been developed in the last decade. While animal models have been valuable in elucidating disease mechanisms and in providing insights into the function of specific genes, the predictive validity of preclinical models to test potential therapies has been questioned. In the last two decades, diverse new murine models of Down syndrome (DS) have been developed and numerous studies have demonstrated neurobiological alterations that could be responsible for the cognitive and behavioral phenotypes found in this syndrome. In many cases, similar alterations were found in murine models and in individuals with DS, although several phenotypes shown in animals have yet not been confirmed in the human condition. Some of the neurobiological alterations observed in mice have been proposed to account for their changes in cognition and behavior, and have received special attention because of being putative therapeutic targets. Those include increased oxidative stress, altered neurogenesis, overexpression of the Dyrk1A gene, GABA-mediated overinhibition and Alzheimer's disease-related neurodegeneration. Subsequently, different laboratories have tested the efficacy of pharmacotherapies targeting these alterations. Unfortunately, animal models are limited in their ability to mimic the extremely complex process of human neurodevelopment and neuropathology. Therefore, the safety and efficacy identified in animal studies are not always translated to humans, and most of the drugs tested have not demonstrated any positive effect or very limited efficacy in clinical trials. Despite their limitations, though, animal trials give us extremely valuable information for developing and testing drugs for human use that cannot be obtained from molecular or cellular experiments alone. This chapter reviews some of these therapeutic approaches and discusses some reasons that could account for the discrepancy between the findings in mouse models of DS and in humans, including: (i) the incomplete resemble of the genetic alterations of available mouse models of DS and human trisomy 21, (ii) the lack of evidence that some of the phenotypic alterations found in mice (e.g., GABA-mediated overinhibition, and alterations in adult neurogenesis) are also present in DS individuals, and (iii) the inaccuracy and/or inadequacy of the methods used in clinical trials to detect changes in the cognitive and behavioral functions of people with DS. Despite the shortcomings of animal models, animal experimentation remains an invaluable tool in developing drugs. Thus, we will also discuss how to increase predictive validity of mouse models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noemí Rueda
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Jesús Flórez
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Mara Dierssen
- Cellular and Systems Neurobiology, Systems Biology Program, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carmen Martínez-Cué
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain.
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21
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Saadipour K, Tiberi A, Lombardo S, Grajales E, Montroull L, Mañucat-Tan NB, LaFrancois J, Cammer M, Mathews PM, Scharfman HE, Liao FF, Friedman WJ, Zhou XF, Tesco G, Chao MV. Regulation of BACE1 expression after injury is linked to the p75 neurotrophin receptor. Mol Cell Neurosci 2019; 99:103395. [PMID: 31422108 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2019.103395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [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: 04/18/2019] [Revised: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACE1 is a transmembrane aspartic protease that cleaves various substrates and it is required for normal brain function. BACE1 expression is high during early development, but it is reduced in adulthood. Under conditions of stress and injury, BACE1 levels are increased; however, the underlying mechanisms that drive BACE1 elevation are not well understood. One mechanism associated with brain injury is the activation of injurious p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75), which can trigger pathological signals. Here we report that within 72 h after controlled cortical impact (CCI) or laser injury, BACE1 and p75 are increased and tightly co-expressed in cortical neurons of mouse brain. Additionally, BACE1 is not up-regulated in p75 null mice in response to focal cortical injury, while p75 over-expression results in BACE1 augmentation in HEK-293 and SY5Y cell lines. A luciferase assay conducted in SY5Y cell line revealed that BACE1 expression is regulated at the transcriptional level in response to p75 transfection. Interestingly, this effect does not appear to be dependent upon p75 ligands including mature and pro-neurotrophins. In addition, BACE1 activity on amyloid precursor protein (APP) is enhanced in SY5Y-APP cells transfected with a p75 construct. Lastly, we found that the activation of c-jun n-terminal kinase (JNK) by p75 contributes to BACE1 up-regulation. This study explores how two injury-induced molecules are intimately connected and suggests a potential link between p75 signaling and the expression of BACE1 after brain injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khalil Saadipour
- Departments of Cell Biology, Physiology & Neuroscience, and Psychiatry, Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, New York 10016, USA.
| | - Alexia Tiberi
- Departments of Cell Biology, Physiology & Neuroscience, and Psychiatry, Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, New York 10016, USA; Bio@SNS Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, Pisa, 56126, Italy
| | - Sylvia Lombardo
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Laboratory, Tufts University School of Medicine, 136 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA, 02111, USA
| | - Elena Grajales
- Departments of Cell Biology, Physiology & Neuroscience, and Psychiatry, Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, New York 10016, USA
| | - Laura Montroull
- Department of Biological Sciences, Rutgers Life Sciences Center, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
| | - Noralyn B Mañucat-Tan
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Sansom Institute, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000, Australia
| | - John LaFrancois
- The Nathan Kline Institute of Psychiatric Research, Center for Dementia Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
| | - Michael Cammer
- DART Microscopy Laboratory, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Paul M Mathews
- The Nathan Kline Institute of Psychiatric Research, Center for Dementia Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
| | - Helen E Scharfman
- The Nathan Kline Institute of Psychiatric Research, Center for Dementia Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
| | - Francesca-Fang Liao
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee 38163, USA
| | - Wilma J Friedman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Rutgers Life Sciences Center, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
| | - Xin-Fu Zhou
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Sansom Institute, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000, Australia
| | - Giueseppina Tesco
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Laboratory, Tufts University School of Medicine, 136 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA, 02111, USA
| | - Moses V Chao
- Departments of Cell Biology, Physiology & Neuroscience, and Psychiatry, Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, New York 10016, USA.
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22
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Kelley CM, Ginsberg SD, Alldred MJ, Strupp BJ, Mufson EJ. Maternal Choline Supplementation Alters Basal Forebrain Cholinergic Neuron Gene Expression in the Ts65Dn Mouse Model of Down Syndrome. Dev Neurobiol 2019; 79:664-683. [PMID: 31120189 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [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: 02/28/2019] [Revised: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 05/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS), trisomy 21, is marked by intellectual disability and a premature aging profile including degeneration of the basal forebrain cholinergic neuron (BFCN) projection system, similar to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Although data indicate that perinatal maternal choline supplementation (MCS) alters the structure and function of these neurons in the Ts65Dn mouse model of DS and AD (Ts), whether MCS affects the molecular profile of vulnerable BFCNs remains unknown. We investigated the genetic signature of BFCNs obtained from Ts and disomic (2N) offspring of Ts65Dn dams maintained on a MCS diet (Ts+, 2N+) or a choline normal diet (ND) from mating until weaning, then maintained on ND until 4.4-7.5 months of age. Brains were then collected and prepared for choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) immunohistochemistry and laser capture microdissection followed by RNA extraction and custom-designed microarray analysis. Findings revealed upregulation of select transcripts in classes of genes related to the cytoskeleton (Tubb4b), AD (Cav1), cell death (Bcl2), presynaptic (Syngr1), immediate early (Fosb, Arc), G protein signaling (Gabarap, Rgs10), and cholinergic neurotransmission (Chrnb3) in Ts compared to 2N mice, which were normalized with MCS. Moreover, significant downregulation was seen in select transcripts associated with the cytoskeleton (Dync1h1), intracellular signaling (Itpka, Gng3, and Mlst8), and cell death (Ccng1) in Ts compared to 2N mice that was normalized with MCS. This study provides insight into genotype-dependent differences and the effects of MCS at the molecular level within a key vulnerable cell type in DS and AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christy M Kelley
- Department of Neurobiology, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Stephen D Ginsberg
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, New York.,Department of Psychiatry, NYU Langone School of Medicine, New York, New York.,Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, NYU Langone School of Medicine, New York, New York.,NYU Neuroscience Institute, NYU Langone School of Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Melissa J Alldred
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, New York.,Department of Psychiatry, NYU Langone School of Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Barbara J Strupp
- Division of Nutritional Sciences and Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Elliott J Mufson
- Department of Neurobiology, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona
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23
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Ross JA, Mathews PM, Van Bockstaele EJ. High resolution approaches for the identification of amyloid fragments in brain. J Neurosci Methods 2019; 319:7-15. [PMID: 30367888 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2018.10.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Revised: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 10/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is now widely recognized that endogenous, picomolar concentrations of the 42 amino acid long peptide, amyloid-β (Aβ42) is secreted under normal physiological conditions and exerts important functional activity throughout neuronal intracellular compartments. Transgenic animal models that overexpress Aβ42 and its precursor, amyloid precursor protein (APP), have not provided predictive value in testing new treatments for Alzheimer's disease (AD), resulting in failed clinical trials. While these results are discouraging, they underscore the need to understand the physiological roles of Aβ42 and APP under normal conditions as well as at early pre- symptomatic stages of AD. New method: We describe the use of acrolein-perfusion in immunoelectron microscopy in combination with novel antibodies directed against endogenous murine Aβ42 and APP fragments to study abnormalities in the endolysosomal system at early stages of disease. The specific requirements, limitations and advantages of novel antibodies directed against human and murine Aβ42, APP and APP fragments are discussed as well as parameters for ultrastructural analysis of endolysosomal compartments. RESULTS Novel antibodies and a detailed protocol for immunoelectron microscopy using acrolein as a fixative are described. Acrolein is shown to preserve intraneuronal Aβ42 species, as opposed to paraformaldehyde fixed tissue, which primarily preserves membrane bound species. Comparison with existing method(s): Technology sensitive enough to detect endogenous Aβ42 under physiological conditions has not been widely available. We describe a number of novel and highly sensitive antibodies have recently been developed that may facilitate the analysis of endogenous Aβ42. CONCLUSIONS Using novel and highly specific antibodies in combination with electron microscopy may reveal important information about the timing of aberrant protein accumulation, as well as the progression of abnormalities in the endolysosomal systems that sort and clear these peptides.
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24
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Lanzillotta C, Tramutola A, Meier S, Schmitt F, Barone E, Perluigi M, Di Domenico F, Abisambra JF. Early and Selective Activation and Subsequent Alterations to the Unfolded Protein Response in Down Syndrome Mouse Models. J Alzheimers Dis 2019; 62:347-359. [PMID: 29439332 DOI: 10.3233/jad-170617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS) is the most common chromosomal disorder and the leading genetic cause of intellectual disability in humans, which results from the triplication of chromosome 21. DS individuals have an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD)-like pathology and dementia by the age of 40 due to the triplication of several genes involved in the formation of amyloid plaques and tau tangles. Further, DS and AD are characterized by the aberrant accumulation of unfolded/misfolded proteins resulting from over-burdened protein quality control systems. The accumulation of misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) triggers a cellular stress response called the unfolded protein response (UPR). Long-term activation of the UPR mediates neuronal dysfunction in AD. We hypothesized that the UPR is impacted in a mouse model of DS. To test this, we performed gene and protein expression analysis of ER stress markers in the Ts65Dn mouse model of DS at 3, 9, and 18 months. We identified activation of the PERK pathway in Ts65Dn DS mice at 3 months of age compared to euploid controls. We also determined that the early and overt UPR activation decreased with age, the UPR signal was significantly reduced by 18 months. Our data suggest that UPR activation in DS mouse models occurs early before consistent brain neurodegeneration and might be an essential contributor to dys-proteostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Lanzillotta
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Antonella Tramutola
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Shelby Meier
- Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Frederick Schmitt
- Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.,Epilepsy Center (EpiC) and Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center (SCoBIRC), College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.,Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Eugenio Barone
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de alud, Avenida Pedro de Valdivia 425, Providencia, Santiago, Chile
| | - Marzia Perluigi
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Fabio Di Domenico
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Jose F Abisambra
- Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.,Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.,Epilepsy Center (EpiC) and Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center (SCoBIRC), College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
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25
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Tramutola A, Lanzillotta C, Barone E, Arena A, Zuliani I, Mosca L, Blarzino C, Butterfield DA, Perluigi M, Di Domenico F. Intranasal rapamycin ameliorates Alzheimer-like cognitive decline in a mouse model of Down syndrome. Transl Neurodegener 2018; 7:28. [PMID: 30410750 PMCID: PMC6218962 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-018-0133-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Down syndrome (DS) individuals, by the age of 40s, are at increased risk to develop Alzheimer-like dementia, with deposition in brain of senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Our laboratory recently demonstrated the disturbance of PI3K/AKT/mTOR axis in DS brain, prior and after the development of Alzheimer Disease (AD). The aberrant modulation of the mTOR signalling in DS and AD age-related cognitive decline affects crucial neuronal pathways, including insulin signaling and autophagy, involved in pathology onset and progression. Within this context, the therapeutic use of mTOR-inhibitors may prevent/attenuate the neurodegenerative phenomena. By our work we aimed to rescue mTOR signalling in DS mice by a novel rapamycin intranasal administration protocol (InRapa) that maximizes brain delivery and reduce systemic side effects. Methods Ts65Dn mice were administered with InRapa for 12 weeks, starting at 6 months of age demonstrating, at the end of the treatment by radial arms maze and novel object recognition testing, rescued cognition. Results The analysis of mTOR signalling, after InRapa, demonstrated in Ts65Dn mice hippocampus the inhibition of mTOR (reduced to physiological levels), which led, through the rescue of autophagy and insulin signalling, to reduced APP levels, APP processing and APP metabolites production, as well as, to reduced tau hyperphosphorylation. In addition, a reduction of oxidative stress markers was also observed. Discussion These findings demonstrate that chronic InRapa administration is able to exert a neuroprotective effect on Ts65Dn hippocampus by reducing AD pathological hallmarks and by restoring protein homeostasis, thus ultimately resulting in improved cognition. Results are discussed in term of a potential novel targeted therapeutic approach to reduce cognitive decline and AD-like neuropathology in DS individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Tramutola
- 1Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Lanzillotta
- 1Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Eugenio Barone
- 1Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.,2Universidad Autònoma de Chile, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de alud, Avenida Pedro de Valdivia 425, Providencia, Santiago, Chile
| | - Andrea Arena
- 1Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Ilaria Zuliani
- 1Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Luciana Mosca
- 1Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Carla Blarzino
- 1Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - D Allan Butterfield
- 3Department of Chemistry and Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0055 USA
| | - Marzia Perluigi
- 1Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Fabio Di Domenico
- 1Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
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26
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Rueda N, Vidal V, García-Cerro S, Narcís JO, Llorens-Martín M, Corrales A, Lantigua S, Iglesias M, Merino J, Merino R, Martínez-Cué C. Anti-IL17 treatment ameliorates Down syndrome phenotypes in mice. Brain Behav Immun 2018; 73:235-251. [PMID: 29758264 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2018.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Revised: 05/02/2018] [Accepted: 05/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS) is characterized by structural and functional anomalies that are present prenatally and that lead to intellectual disabilities. Later in life, the cognitive abilities of DS individuals progressively deteriorate due to the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD)-associated neuropathology (i.e., β-amyloid (Aβ) plaques, neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), neurodegeneration, synaptic pathology, neuroinflammation and increased oxidative stress). Increasing evidence has shown that among these pathological processes, neuroinflammation plays a predominant role in AD etiopathology. In AD mouse models, increased neuroinflammation appears earlier than Aβ plaques and NFTs, and in DS and AD models, neuroinflammation exacerbates the levels of soluble and insoluble Aβ species, favoring neurodegeneration. The Ts65Dn (TS) mouse, the most commonly used murine model of DS, recapitulates many alterations present in both DS and AD individuals, including enhanced neuroinflammation. In this study, we observed an altered neuroinflammatory milieu in the hippocampus of the TS mouse model. Pro-inflammatory mediators that were elevated in the hippocampus of this model included pro-inflammatory cytokine IL17A, which has a fundamental role in mediating brain damage in neuroinflammatory processes. Here, we analyzed the ability of an anti-IL17A antibody to reduce the neuropathological alterations that are present in TS mice during early neurodevelopmental stages (i.e., hippocampal neurogenesis and hypocellularity) or that are aggravated in later-life stages (i.e., cognitive abilities, cholinergic neuronal loss and increased cellular senescence, APP expression, Aβ peptide expression and neuroinflammation). Administration of anti-IL17 for 5 months, starting at the age of 7 months, partially improved the cognitive abilities of the TS mice, reduced the expression of several pro-inflammatory cytokines and the density of activated microglia and normalized the APP and Aβ1-42 levels in the hippocampi of the TS mice. These results suggest that IL17-mediated neuroinflammation is involved in several AD phenotypes in TS mice and provide a new therapeutic target to reduce these pathological characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noemí Rueda
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Verónica Vidal
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Susana García-Cerro
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Josep Oriol Narcís
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - María Llorens-Martín
- Department of Molecular Neuropathology, Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa", CBMSO, CSICUAM, Madrid, Spain; Network Center for Biomedical Research on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain; Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Andrea Corrales
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Sara Lantigua
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Marcos Iglesias
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Jesús Merino
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Ramón Merino
- Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology of Cantabria, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain.
| | - Carmen Martínez-Cué
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain.
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27
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Duval N, Vacano GN, Patterson D. Rapamycin Treatment Ameliorates Age-Related Accumulation of Toxic Metabolic Intermediates in Brains of the Ts65Dn Mouse Model of Down Syndrome and Aging. Front Aging Neurosci 2018; 10:263. [PMID: 30237765 PMCID: PMC6135881 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2018.00263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS), caused by trisomy of chromosome 21, is the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability. Individuals with DS exhibit changes in neurochemistry and neuroanatomy that worsen with age, neurological delay in learning and memory, and predisposition to Alzheimer's disease. The Ts65Dn mouse is the best characterized model of DS and has many features reminiscent of DS, including developmental anomalies and age-related neurodegeneration. The mouse carries a partial triplication of mouse chromosome 16 containing roughly 100 genes syntenic to human chromosome 21 genes. We hypothesized that there would be differences in brain metabolites with trisomy and age, and that long-term treatment with rapamycin, mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor and immunosuppressant, would correct these differences. Using HPLC coupled with electrochemical detection, we identified differences in levels of metabolites involved in dopaminergic, serotonergic, and kynurenine pathways in trisomic mice that are exacerbated with age. These include homovanillic acid, norepinephrine, and kynurenine. In addition, we demonstrate that prolonged treatment with rapamycin reduces accumulation of toxic metabolites (such as 6-hydroxymelatonin and 3-hydroxykynurenine) in aged mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Duval
- Department of Biological Sciences, Knoebel Institute for Healthy Aging, and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute, University of Denver, Denver, CO, United States
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28
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Di Domenico F, Tramutola A, Foppoli C, Head E, Perluigi M, Butterfield DA. mTOR in Down syndrome: Role in Aß and tau neuropathology and transition to Alzheimer disease-like dementia. Free Radic Biol Med 2018; 114:94-101. [PMID: 28807816 PMCID: PMC5748251 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2017.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2017] [Revised: 08/07/2017] [Accepted: 08/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a serine/threonine protein kinase involved in the regulation of protein synthesis and degradation, longevity and cytoskeletal formation. The mTOR pathway represents a key growth and survival pathway involved in several diseases such as cancer, obesity, cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative diseases. Numerous studies linked the alterations of mTOR pathway to age-dependent cognitive decline, pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease (AD) and AD-like dementia in Down syndrome (DS). DS is the most frequent chromosomal abnormality that causes intellectual disability. The neuropathology of AD in DS is complex and involves impaired mitochondrial function, defects in neurogenesis, increased oxidative stress, altered proteostasis and autophagy networks as a result of triplication of chromosome 21(chr 21). The chr21 gene products are considered a principal neuropathogenic moiety in DS. Several genes involved respectively in the formation of senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT), two main pathological hallmarks of AD, are mapped on chr21. Further, in subjects with DS the activation of mTOR signaling contributes to Aβ generation and the formation of NFT. This review discusses recent research highlighting the complex role of mTOR associated with the presence of two hallmarks of AD pathology, senile plaques (composed mostly of fibrillar Aß peptides), and NFT (composed mostly of hyperphosphorylated tau protein). Oxidative stress, associated with chr21-related Aβ and mitochondrial alterations, may significantly contribute to this linkage of mTOR to AD-like neuropathology in DS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Di Domenico
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Antonella Tramutola
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Cesira Foppoli
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Elizabeth Head
- Sanders-Brown Center on Aging and Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - Marzia Perluigi
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - D Allan Butterfield
- Department of Chemistry and Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506 USA.
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29
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Vacano GN, Gibson DS, Turjoman AA, Gawryluk JW, Geiger JD, Duncan M, Patterson D. Proteomic analysis of six- and twelve-month hippocampus and cerebellum in a murine Down syndrome model. Neurobiol Aging 2017; 63:96-109. [PMID: 29245059 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2017.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [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: 09/19/2017] [Revised: 11/09/2017] [Accepted: 11/17/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
This study was designed to investigate the brain proteome of the Ts65Dn mouse model of Down syndrome. We profiled the cerebellum and hippocampus proteomes of 6- and 12-month-old trisomic and disomic mice by difference gel electrophoresis. We quantified levels of 2082 protein spots and identified 272 (170 unique UniProt accessions) by mass spectrometry. Four identified proteins are encoded by genes trisomic in the Ts65Dn mouse. Three of these (CRYZL11, EZR, and SOD1) were elevated with p-value <0.05, and 2 proteins encoded by disomic genes (MAPRE3 and PHB) were reduced. Intergel comparisons based on age (6 vs. 12 months) and brain region (cerebellum vs. hippocampus) revealed numerous differences. Specifically, 132 identified proteins were different between age groups, and 141 identified proteins were different between the 2 brain regions. Our results suggest that compensatory mechanisms exist, which ameliorate the effect of trisomy in the Ts65Dn mice. Differences observed during aging may play a role in the accelerated deterioration of learning and memory seen in Ts65Dn mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guido N Vacano
- Knoebel Institute for Healthy Aging, Eleanor Roosevelt Institute, and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA
| | - David S Gibson
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Abdullah Arif Turjoman
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Jeremy W Gawryluk
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA
| | - Jonathan D Geiger
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA
| | - Mark Duncan
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - David Patterson
- Knoebel Institute for Healthy Aging, Eleanor Roosevelt Institute, and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA.
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30
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Illouz T, Madar R, Griffioen K, Okun E. A protocol for quantitative analysis of murine and human amyloid-β1-40 and 1-42. J Neurosci Methods 2017; 291:28-35. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2017.07.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2017] [Revised: 07/09/2017] [Accepted: 07/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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Stringer M, Goodlett CR, Roper RJ. Targeting trisomic treatments: optimizing Dyrk1a inhibition to improve Down syndrome deficits. Mol Genet Genomic Med 2017; 5:451-465. [PMID: 28944229 PMCID: PMC5606891 DOI: 10.1002/mgg3.334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2017] [Revised: 08/21/2017] [Accepted: 08/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Overexpression of Dual-specificity tyrosine-phosphorylated regulated kinase 1A (DYRK1A), located on human chromosome 21, may alter molecular processes linked to developmental deficits in Down syndrome (DS). Trisomic DYRK1A is a rational therapeutic target, and although reductions in Dyrk1a genetic dosage have shown improvements in trisomic mouse models, attempts to reduce Dyrk1a activity by pharmacological mechanisms and correct these DS-associated phenotypes have been largely unsuccessful. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) inhibits DYRK1A activity in vitro and this action has been postulated to account for improvement of some DS-associated phenotypes that have been reported in preclinical studies and clinical trials. However, the beneficial effects of EGCG are inconsistent and there is no direct evidence that any observed improvement actually occurs through Dyrk1a inhibition. Inconclusive outcomes likely reflect a lack of knowledge about the tissue-specific patterns of spatial and temporal overexpression and elevated activity of Dyrk1a that may contribute to emerging DS traits during development. Emerging evidence indicates that Dyrk1a expression varies over the life span in DS mouse models, yet preclinical therapeutic treatments targeting Dyrk1a have largely not considered these developmental changes. Therapies intended to improve DS phenotypes through normalizing trisomic Dyrk1a need to optimize the timing and dose of treatment to match the spatiotemporal patterning of excessive Dyrk1a activity in relevant tissues. This will require more precise identification of developmental periods of vulnerability to enduring adverse effects of elevated Dyrk1a, representing the concurrence of increased Dyrk1a expression together with hypothesized tissue-specific-sensitive periods when Dyrk1a regulates cellular processes that shape the long-term functional properties of the tissue. Future efforts targeting inhibition of trisomic Dyrk1a should identify these putative spatiotemporally specific developmental sensitive periods and determine whether normalizing Dyrk1a activity then can lead to improved outcomes in DS phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Stringer
- Department of PsychologyIUPUI402 North Blackford Street, LD 124IndianapolisIndiana46202-3275
| | - Charles R Goodlett
- Department of PsychologyIUPUI402 North Blackford Street, LD 124IndianapolisIndiana46202-3275
| | - Randall J Roper
- Department of BiologyIUPUI723 West Michigan Street SL 306IndianapolisIndiana46202-3275
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Stringer M, Abeysekera I, Thomas J, LaCombe J, Stancombe K, Stewart RJ, Dria KJ, Wallace JM, Goodlett CR, Roper RJ. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) consumption in the Ts65Dn model of Down syndrome fails to improve behavioral deficits and is detrimental to skeletal phenotypes. Physiol Behav 2017; 177:230-241. [PMID: 28478033 PMCID: PMC5525541 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2016] [Revised: 04/15/2017] [Accepted: 05/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS) is caused by three copies of human chromosome 21 (Hsa21) and results in phenotypes including intellectual disability and skeletal deficits. Ts65Dn mice have three copies of ~50% of the genes homologous to Hsa21 and display phenotypes associated with DS, including cognitive deficits and skeletal abnormalities. DYRK1A is found in three copies in humans with Trisomy 21 and in Ts65Dn mice, and is involved in a number of critical pathways including neurological development and osteoclastogenesis. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the main polyphenol in green tea, inhibits Dyrk1a activity. We have previously shown that EGCG treatment (~10mg/kg/day) improves skeletal abnormalities in Ts65Dn mice, yet the same dose, as well as ~20mg/kg/day did not rescue deficits in the Morris water maze spatial learning task (MWM), novel object recognition (NOR) or balance beam task (BB). In contrast, a recent study reported that an EGCG-containing supplement with a dose of 2-3mg per day (~40-60mg/kg/day) improved hippocampal-dependent task deficits in Ts65Dn mice. The current study investigated if an EGCG dosage similar to that study would yield similar improvements in either cognitive or skeletal deficits. Ts65Dn mice and euploid littermates were given EGCG [0.4mg/mL] or a water control, with treatments yielding average daily intakes of ~50mg/kg/day EGCG, and tested on the multivariate concentric square field (MCSF)-which assesses activity, exploratory behavior, risk assessment, risk taking, and shelter seeking-and NOR, BB, and MWM. EGCG treatment failed to improve cognitive deficits; EGCG also produced several detrimental effects on skeleton in both genotypes. In a refined HPLC-based assay, its first application in Ts65Dn mice, EGCG treatment significantly reduced kinase activity in femora but not in the cerebral cortex, cerebellum, or hippocampus. Counter to expectation, 9-week-old Ts65Dn mice exhibited a decrease in Dyrk1a protein levels in Western blot analysis in the cerebellum. The lack of beneficial therapeutic behavioral effects and potentially detrimental skeletal effects of EGCG found in Ts65Dn mice emphasize the importance of identifying dosages of EGCG that reliably improve DS phenotypes and linking those effects to actions of EGCG (or EGCG-containing supplements) in specific targets in brain and bone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Stringer
- IUPUI, Department of Psychology, 402 North Blackford Street, LD 124, Indianapolis, IN 46202-3275, United States
| | - Irushi Abeysekera
- IUPUI, Department of Biology, 723 West Michigan Street, SL 306, Indianapolis, IN 46202-3275, United States
| | - Jared Thomas
- IUPUI, Department of Biology, 723 West Michigan Street, SL 306, Indianapolis, IN 46202-3275, United States
| | - Jonathan LaCombe
- IUPUI, Department of Biology, 723 West Michigan Street, SL 306, Indianapolis, IN 46202-3275, United States
| | - Kailey Stancombe
- IUPUI, Department of Psychology, 402 North Blackford Street, LD 124, Indianapolis, IN 46202-3275, United States
| | - Robert J Stewart
- IUPUI, Department of Psychology, 402 North Blackford Street, LD 124, Indianapolis, IN 46202-3275, United States
| | - Karl J Dria
- IUPUI, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, 402 North Blackford Street, LD 326, Indianapolis, IN 46202-3275, United States
| | - Joseph M Wallace
- IUPUI, Department of Biomedical Engineering, 723 West Michigan Street, SL 220B, Indianapolis, IN 46202-3275, United States
| | - Charles R Goodlett
- IUPUI, Department of Psychology, 402 North Blackford Street, LD 124, Indianapolis, IN 46202-3275, United States
| | - Randall J Roper
- IUPUI, Department of Biology, 723 West Michigan Street, SL 306, Indianapolis, IN 46202-3275, United States.
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Abstract
The Ts65Dn is a popular mouse model of Down syndrome (DS). It displays DS-relevant features of learning/memory deficits and age-related loss of functional markers in basal forebrain cholinergic neurons. Here we describe protein expression abnormalities in brain regions of 12-month-old male Ts65Dn mice. We show that the magnitudes of abnormalities of human chromosome 21 and non-human chromosome 21 orthologous proteins are greater at 12 months than at ∼6 months. Age-related exacerbations involve the number of components affected in the mechanistic target of rapamycin pathway, the levels of components of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway, and proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease. Among brain regions, the number of abnormalities in cerebellum decreased while the number in cortex greatly increased with age. The Ts65Dn is being used in preclinical evaluations of drugs for cognition in DS. Most commonly, drug evaluations are tested in ∼4- to 6-month-old mice. Data on age-related changes in magnitude and specificity of protein perturbations can be used to understand the molecular basis of changes in cognitive ability and to predict potential age-related specificities in drug efficacies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aaron Block
- Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Suhong Tong
- School of Public Health, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | | | - Katheleen J Gardiner
- Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome, Aurora, CO, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA; Human Medical Genetics and Genomics, and Neuroscience Programs, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA.
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Mojabi FS, Fahimi A, Moghadam S, Moghadam S, Windy McNerneny M, Ponnusamy R, Kleschevnikov A, Mobley WC, Salehi A. GABAergic hyperinnervation of dentate granule cells in the Ts65Dn mouse model of down syndrome: Exploring the role of App. Hippocampus 2016; 26:1641-1654. [PMID: 27701794 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.22664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
It has been suggested that increased GABAergic innervation in the hippocampus plays a significant role in cognitive dysfunction in Down syndrome (DS). Bolstering this notion, are studies linking hyper-innervation of the dentate gyrus (DG) by GABAergic terminals to failure in LTP induction in the Ts65Dn mouse model of DS. Here, we used extensive morphometrical methods to assess the status of GABAergic interneurons in the DG of young and old Ts65Dn mice and their 2N controls. We detected an age-dependent increase in GABAergic innervation of dentate granule cells (DGCs) in Ts65Dn mice. The primary source of GABAergic terminals to DGCs somata is basket cells (BCs). For this reason, we assessed the status of these cells and found a significant increase in the number of BCs in Ts65Dn mice compared with controls. Then we aimed to identify the gene/s whose overexpression could be linked to increased number of BCs in Ts65Dn and found that deleting the third copy of App gene in Ts65Dn mice led to normalization of the number of BCs in these mice. Our data suggest that App overexpression plays a major role in the pathophysiology of GABAergic hyperinnervation of the DG in Ts65Dn mice. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh S Mojabi
- VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California
| | - Atoossa Fahimi
- VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California
| | | | | | - M Windy McNerneny
- VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California
| | | | | | - William C Mobley
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, California
| | - Ahmad Salehi
- VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California
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Créau N, Cabet E, Daubigney F, Souchet B, Bennaï S, Delabar J. Specific age-related molecular alterations in the cerebellum of Down syndrome mouse models. Brain Res 2016; 1646:342-353. [PMID: 27297494 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2016.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [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: 02/18/2016] [Revised: 05/07/2016] [Accepted: 06/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Down syndrome, or trisomy 21, has been modeled with various trisomic and transgenic mice to help understand the consequences of an altered gene dosage in brain development and function. Though Down syndrome has been associated with premature aging, little is known about the molecular and cellular alterations that target brain function. To help identify alterations at specific ages, we analyzed the cerebellum of Ts1Cje mice, trisomic for 77 HSA21 orthologs, at three ages-young (4 months), middle-age (12 months), and old (17 months)-compared to age-matched controls. Quantification of neuronal and glial markers (n=11) revealed increases in GFAP, with an age effect, and S100B, with age and genotype effects. The genotype effect on S100B with age was unexpected as Ts1Cje has only two copies of the S100b gene. Interestingly, the different increase in GFAP observed between Ts1Cje (trisomic segment includes Pcp4 gene) and controls was magnified in TgPCP4 mice (1 extra copy of the human PCP4 gene) at the same age. S100B increase was not found in the TgPCP4 confirming a difference of regulation with aging for GFAP and S100B and excluding the calcium signaling regulator, Pcp4, as a potential candidate for increase of S100B in the Ts1Cje. To understand these differences, comparison of GFAP and S100B immunostainings at young and middle-age were performed. Immunohistochemical detection of differences in GFAP and S100B localization with aging implicate S100B+ oligodendrocytes as a new phenotypic target in this specific aging process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Créau
- Univ Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Unité de Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, UMR8251, CNRS, Paris, France.
| | - Eva Cabet
- Univ Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Unité de Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, UMR8251, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Fabrice Daubigney
- Univ Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Unité de Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, UMR8251, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Benoit Souchet
- Univ Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Unité de Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, UMR8251, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Soumia Bennaï
- Univ Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Unité de Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, UMR8251, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Jean Delabar
- Univ Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Unité de Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, UMR8251, CNRS, Paris, France
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Sansevero G, Begenisic T, Mainardi M, Sale A. Experience-dependent reduction of soluble β-amyloid oligomers and rescue of cognitive abilities in middle-age Ts65Dn mice, a model of Down syndrome. Exp Neurol 2016; 283:49-56. [PMID: 27288239 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2016.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2016] [Revised: 05/30/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS) is the most diffused genetic cause of intellectual disability and, after the age of forty, is invariantly associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). In the last years, the prolongation of life expectancy in people with DS renders the need for intervention paradigms aimed at improving mental disability and counteracting AD pathology particularly urgent. At present, however, there are no effective therapeutic strategies for DS and concomitant AD in mid-life people. The most intensively studied mouse model of DS is the Ts65Dn line, which summarizes the main hallmarks of the DS phenotype, included severe learning and memory deficits and age-dependent AD-like pathology. Here we report for the first time that middle-age Ts65Dn mice display a marked increase in soluble Aβ oligomer levels in their hippocampus. Moreover, we found that long-term exposure to environmental enrichment (EE), a widely used paradigm that increases sensory-motor stimulation, reduces Aβ oligomers and rescues spatial memory abilities in trisomic mice. Our findings underscore the potential of EE procedures as a non-invasive paradigm for counteracting brain aging processes in DS subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Sansevero
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council (CNR), Pisa, Italy; NEUROFARBA, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Tatjana Begenisic
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council (CNR), Pisa, Italy
| | - Marco Mainardi
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council (CNR), Pisa, Italy
| | - Alessandro Sale
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council (CNR), Pisa, Italy.
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Jiang Y, Rigoglioso A, Peterhoff CM, Pawlik M, Sato Y, Bleiwas C, Stavrides P, Smiley JF, Ginsberg SD, Mathews PM, Levy E, Nixon RA. Partial BACE1 reduction in a Down syndrome mouse model blocks Alzheimer-related endosomal anomalies and cholinergic neurodegeneration: role of APP-CTF. Neurobiol Aging 2015; 39:90-8. [PMID: 26923405 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2015.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [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: 07/13/2015] [Revised: 11/17/2015] [Accepted: 11/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
β-amyloid precursor protein (APP) and amyloid beta peptide (Aβ) are strongly implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis, although recent evidence has linked APP-βCTF generated by BACE1 (β-APP cleaving enzyme 1) to the development of endocytic abnormalities and cholinergic neurodegeneration in early AD. We show that partial BACE1 genetic reduction prevents these AD-related pathological features in the Ts2 mouse model of Down syndrome. Partially reducing BACE1 by deleting one BACE1 allele blocked development of age-related endosome enlargement in the medial septal nucleus, cerebral cortex, and hippocampus and loss of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)-positive medial septal nucleus neurons. BACE1 reduction normalized APP-βCTF elevation but did not alter Aβ40 and Aβ42 peptide levels in brain, supporting a critical role in vivo for APP-βCTF in the development of these abnormalities. Although ameliorative effects of BACE1 inhibition on β-amyloidosis and synaptic proteins levels have been previously noted in AD mouse models, our results highlight the additional potential value of BACE1 modulation in therapeutic targeting of endocytic dysfunction and cholinergic neurodegeneration in Down syndrome and AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Jiang
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan S. Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Andrew Rigoglioso
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan S. Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | | | - Monika Pawlik
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan S. Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Yutaka Sato
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan S. Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Cynthia Bleiwas
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan S. Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Philip Stavrides
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan S. Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - John F Smiley
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan S. Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stephen D Ginsberg
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan S. Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Paul M Mathews
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan S. Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Efrat Levy
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan S. Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ralph A Nixon
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan S. Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; Department of Cell Biology, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
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Choong XY, Tosh JL, Pulford LJ, Fisher EMC. Dissecting Alzheimer disease in Down syndrome using mouse models. Front Behav Neurosci 2015; 9:268. [PMID: 26528151 PMCID: PMC4602094 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2015] [Accepted: 09/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS) is a common genetic condition caused by the presence of three copies of chromosome 21 (trisomy 21). This greatly increases the risk of Alzheimer disease (AD), but although virtually all people with DS have AD neuropathology by 40 years of age, not all develop dementia. To dissect the genetic contribution of trisomy 21 to DS phenotypes including those relevant to AD, a range of DS mouse models has been generated which are trisomic for chromosome segments syntenic to human chromosome 21. Here, we consider key characteristics of human AD in DS (AD-DS), and our current state of knowledge on related phenotypes in AD and DS mouse models. We go on to review important features needed in future models of AD-DS, to understand this type of dementia and so highlight pathogenic mechanisms relevant to all populations at risk of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xun Yu Choong
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Institute of Neurology, University College London London, UK ; The LonDownS Consortium London, UK
| | - Justin L Tosh
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Institute of Neurology, University College London London, UK ; The LonDownS Consortium London, UK
| | - Laura J Pulford
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Institute of Neurology, University College London London, UK ; The LonDownS Consortium London, UK
| | - Elizabeth M C Fisher
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Institute of Neurology, University College London London, UK ; The LonDownS Consortium London, UK
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Wiseman FK, Al-Janabi T, Hardy J, Karmiloff-Smith A, Nizetic D, Tybulewicz VLJ, Fisher EMC, Strydom A. A genetic cause of Alzheimer disease: mechanistic insights from Down syndrome. Nat Rev Neurosci 2015; 16:564-74. [PMID: 26243569 PMCID: PMC4678594 DOI: 10.1038/nrn3983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 337] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.4] [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: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Down syndrome, which arises in individuals carrying an extra copy of chromosome 21, is associated with a greatly increased risk of early-onset Alzheimer disease. It is thought that this risk is conferred by the presence of three copies of the gene encoding amyloid precursor protein (APP)--an Alzheimer disease risk factor--although the possession of extra copies of other chromosome 21 genes may also play a part. Further study of the mechanisms underlying the development of Alzheimer disease in people with Down syndrome could provide insights into the mechanisms that cause dementia in the general population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances K Wiseman
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Tamara Al-Janabi
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 7NF, UK
| | - John Hardy
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Annette Karmiloff-Smith
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HX, UK
| | - Dean Nizetic
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Novena Campus, 11 Mandalay Road, Singapore 308232; and the Blizard Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, 4 Newark Street, London E1 2AT, UK
| | | | - Elizabeth M C Fisher
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - André Strydom
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 7NF, UK
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Stagni F, Giacomini A, Guidi S, Ciani E, Ragazzi E, Filonzi M, De Iasio R, Rimondini R, Bartesaghi R. Long-term effects of neonatal treatment with fluoxetine on cognitive performance in Ts65Dn mice. Neurobiol Dis 2015; 74:204-18. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2014.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2014] [Revised: 11/18/2014] [Accepted: 12/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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Schafer MJ, Alldred MJ, Lee SH, Calhoun ME, Petkova E, Mathews PM, Ginsberg SD. Reduction of β-amyloid and γ-secretase by calorie restriction in female Tg2576 mice. Neurobiol Aging 2014; 36:1293-302. [PMID: 25556162 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2014.10.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [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: 03/10/2014] [Revised: 09/22/2014] [Accepted: 10/07/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Research indicates that female risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) is greater than that of males. Moderate reduction of calorie intake, known as calorie restriction (CR), reduces pathology in AD mouse models and is a potentially translatable prevention measure for individuals at-risk for AD, as well as an important tool for understanding how the brain endogenously attenuates age-related pathology. Whether sex influences the response to CR remains unknown. In this study, we assessed the effect of CR on beta-amyloid peptide (Aβ) pathology and hippocampal CA1 neuron specific gene expression in the Tg2576 mouse model of cerebral amyloidosis. Relative to ad libitum (AL) feeding, CR feeding significantly reduced hippocampal Aβ burden in 15-month-old female, but not age-matched male, Tg2576 mice. Sustained CR also significantly reduced expression of presenilin enhancer 2 (Psenen) and presenilin 1, components of the γ-secretase complex, in Tg2576 females. These results indicate that long-term CR significantly reduces age-dependent female Tg2576 Aβ pathology, which is likely to involve CR-mediated reductions in γ-secretase-dependent amyloid precursor protein (APP) metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marissa J Schafer
- Cell and Molecular Biology Program, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; Department of Cell Biology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; Center for Dementia Research, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Melissa J Alldred
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sang Han Lee
- Division of Medical Physics, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | | | - Eva Petkova
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; Division of Child Psychiatry, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Paul M Mathews
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stephen D Ginsberg
- Cell and Molecular Biology Program, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; Center for Dementia Research, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; Department of Physiology & Neuroscience, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
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Iulita MF, Do Carmo S, Ower AK, Fortress AM, Flores Aguilar L, Hanna M, Wisniewski T, Granholm AC, Buhusi M, Busciglio J, Cuello AC. Nerve growth factor metabolic dysfunction in Down's syndrome brains. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 137:860-72. [PMID: 24519975 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awt372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Basal forebrain cholinergic neurons play a key role in cognition. This neuronal system is highly dependent on NGF for its synaptic integrity and the phenotypic maintenance of its cell bodies. Basal forebrain cholinergic neurons progressively degenerate in Alzheimer's disease and Down's syndrome, and their atrophy contributes to the manifestation of dementia. Paradoxically, in Alzheimer's disease brains, the synthesis of NGF is not affected and there is abundance of the NGF precursor, proNGF. We have shown that this phenomenon is the result of a deficit in NGF's extracellular metabolism that compromises proNGF maturation and exacerbates its subsequent degradation. We hypothesized that a similar imbalance should be present in Down's syndrome. Using a combination of quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, western blotting and zymography, we investigated signs of NGF metabolic dysfunction in post-mortem brains from the temporal (n = 14), frontal (n = 34) and parietal (n = 20) cortex obtained from subjects with Down's syndrome and age-matched controls (age range 31-68 years). We further examined primary cultures of human foetal Down's syndrome cortex (17-21 gestational age weeks) and brains from Ts65Dn mice (12-22 months), a widely used animal model of Down's syndrome. We report a significant increase in proNGF levels in human and mouse Down's syndrome brains, with a concomitant reduction in the levels of plasminogen and tissue plasminogen activator messenger RNA as well as an increment in neuroserpin expression; enzymes that partake in proNGF maturation. Human Down's syndrome brains also exhibited elevated zymogenic activity of MMP9, the major NGF-degrading protease. Our results indicate a failure in NGF precursor maturation in Down's syndrome brains and a likely enhanced proteolytic degradation of NGF, changes which can compromise the trophic support of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons. The alterations in proNGF and MMP9 were also present in cultures of Down's syndrome foetal cortex; suggesting that this trophic compromise may be amenable to rescue, before frank dementia onset. Our study thus provides a novel paradigm for cholinergic neuroprotection in Alzheimer's disease and Down's syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Florencia Iulita
- 1 Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, 3655 Sir-William-Osler Promenade, Montreal, H3G1Y6, Canada
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Sorrentino P, Iuliano A, Polverino A, Jacini F, Sorrentino G. The dark sides of amyloid in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis. FEBS Lett 2014; 588:641-52. [PMID: 24491999 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2013.12.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [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: 10/03/2013] [Revised: 12/06/2013] [Accepted: 12/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Although widely explored, the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has yet to be cleared. Over the past twenty years the so call amyloid cascade hypothesis represented the main research paradigm in AD pathogenesis. In spite of its large consensus, the proposed role of β-amyloid (Aβ) remain to be elucidated. Many evidences are starting to cast doubt on Aβ as the primary causative factor in AD. For instance, Aβ is deposited in the brain following many different kinds of injury. Also, concentration of Aβ needed to induce toxicity in vitro are never reached in vivo. In this review we propose an amyloid-independent interpretation of several AD pathogenic features, such as synaptic plasticity, endo-lysosomal trafficking, cell cycle regulation and neuronal survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierpaolo Sorrentino
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze e Scienze Riproduttive ed Odontostomatologiche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Antonietta Iuliano
- Dipartimento di Scienze Motorie e del Benessere, Università degli Studi di Napoli Parthenope, Naples, Italy; Istituto di Diagnosi e Cura Hermitage Capodimonte, Naples, Italy
| | - Arianna Polverino
- Dipartimento di Scienze Motorie e del Benessere, Università degli Studi di Napoli Parthenope, Naples, Italy; Istituto di Diagnosi e Cura Hermitage Capodimonte, Naples, Italy
| | - Francesca Jacini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Motorie e del Benessere, Università degli Studi di Napoli Parthenope, Naples, Italy; Istituto di Diagnosi e Cura Hermitage Capodimonte, Naples, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Sorrentino
- Dipartimento di Scienze Motorie e del Benessere, Università degli Studi di Napoli Parthenope, Naples, Italy; Istituto di Diagnosi e Cura Hermitage Capodimonte, Naples, Italy.
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Choi JHK, Kaur G, Mazzella MJ, Morales-Corraliza J, Levy E, Mathews PM. Early endosomal abnormalities and cholinergic neuron degeneration in amyloid-β protein precursor transgenic mice. J Alzheimers Dis 2013; 34:691-700. [PMID: 23254640 DOI: 10.3233/jad-122143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Early endosomal changes, a prominent pathology in neurons early in Alzheimer's disease, also occur in neurons and peripheral tissues in Down syndrome. While in Down syndrome models increased amyloid-β protein precursor (AβPP) expression is known to be a necessary contributor on the trisomic background to this early endosomal pathology, increased AβPP alone has yet to be shown to be sufficient to drive early endosomal alterations in neurons. Comparing two AβPP transgenic mouse models, one that contains the AβPP Swedish K670N/M671L double mutation at the β-cleavage site (APP23) and one that has the AβPP London V717I mutation near the γ-cleavage site (APPLd2), we show significantly altered early endosome morphology in fronto-parietal neurons as well as enlargement of early endosomes in basal forebrain cholinergic neurons of the medial septal nucleus in the APP23 model, which has the higher levels of AβPP β-C-terminal fragment (βCTF) accumulation. Early endosomal changes correlate with a marked loss of the cholinergic population, which is consistent with the known dependence of the large projection cholinergic cells on endosome-mediated retrograde neurotrophic transport. Our findings support the idea that increased expression of AβPP and AβPP metabolites in neurons is sufficient to drive early endosomal abnormalities in vivo, and that disruption of the endocytic system is likely to contribute to basal forebrain cholinergic vulnerability.
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Bianchi P, Bettini S, Guidi S, Ciani E, Trazzi S, Stagni F, Ragazzi E, Franceschini V, Bartesaghi R. Age-related impairment of olfactory bulb neurogenesis in the Ts65Dn mouse model of Down syndrome. Exp Neurol 2013; 251:1-11. [PMID: 24192151 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2013.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 07/23/2013] [Revised: 10/11/2013] [Accepted: 10/15/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS) is a genetic condition caused by triplication of chromosome 21. Widespread neurogenesis reduction during brain development underlies the numerous neurological defects of DS. These defects start to manifest themselves at birth and worsen with age. However, unlike other brain functions, smell is impaired only at advanced life stages, suggesting preservation of olfactory bulb neurogenesis up to adulthood. To clarify this issue, in the current study we examined olfactory bulb (OB) neurogenesis and olfactory function by exploiting the Ts65Dn mouse, a widely used model of DS. We found that in young (15-day-old) Ts65Dn mice, in spite of a reduced proliferation rate in the subventricular zone (SVZ) in comparison with euploid mice, the number of neuroblasts traveling in the rostral migratory stream (RMS), en route to the OB, and the number of new granule neurons added to the OB were similar to those of euploid mice. In mid-age (13-month-old) Ts65Dn mice, however, the proliferation rate in the SVZ was more severely reduced in comparison with euploid mice and the number of neuroblasts in the RMS and new granule neurons added to the OB underwent a reduction. While in young Ts65Dn mice the olfactory function, assessed with the buried food pellet test, was similar to that of euploid mice, in mid-age mice it was significantly impaired. Taken together, results suggest that an age-related reduction in the renewal of OB granule cells may underlie the age-related smell impairment in DS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrizia Bianchi
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Simone Bettini
- Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Sandra Guidi
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Ciani
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Stefania Trazzi
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Fiorenza Stagni
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Elena Ragazzi
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Valeria Franceschini
- Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Renata Bartesaghi
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
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Abstract
Down syndrome (DS), which results from an extra copy of chromosome 21 (trisomy 21), is the most common genetically defined cause of intellectual disability. Although no pharmacotherapy aimed at counteracting the cognitive and adaptive deficits associated with this genetic disorder has been approved at present, there have been several new promising studies on pharmacological agents capable of rescuing learning/memory deficits seen in mouse models of DS. Here, we will review the available mouse models for DS and provide a comprehensive, albeit not exhaustive review of the following preclinical research strategies: (1) SOD1 and antioxidant agents; (2) APP and γ-secretase inhibitors; (3) DYRK1A and the polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG); (4) GIRK2 and fluoxetine; (5) adrenergic receptor agonists; (6) modulation of GABAA and GABAB receptors; (7) agonism of the hedgehog signaling pathway; (8) nerve growth factor (NGF) and other neurotrophic factors; (9) anticholinesterase (AChE) agents; and (10) antagonism of NMDA receptors. Finally, we will review briefly five different strategies in DS that have led to clinical studies that either have been concluded or are currently underway: (1) antioxidant therapy; (2) AChE therapy; (3) green tea extract therapy; (4) RG1662 therapy; and (5) memantine therapy. These are exciting times in DS research. Within a decade or so, it is well into the realm of possibility that new forms of pharmacotherapies might become valuable tools in the armamentarium of developmental clinicians, as adjutants to more traditional and proven forms of habilitative interventions aimed at improving the quality of life of individuals with DS.
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Wang J, Shan C, Cao W, Zhang C, Teng J, Chen J. SCG10 promotes non-amyloidogenic processing of amyloid precursor protein by facilitating its trafficking to the cell surface. Hum Mol Genet 2013; 22:4888-900. [DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddt339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
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Granese B, Scala I, Spatuzza C, Valentino A, Coletta M, Vacca RA, De Luca P, Andria G. Validation of microarray data in human lymphoblasts shows a role of the ubiquitin-proteasome system and NF-kB in the pathogenesis of Down syndrome. BMC Med Genomics 2013; 6:24. [PMID: 23830204 PMCID: PMC3717290 DOI: 10.1186/1755-8794-6-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2013] [Accepted: 06/29/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Down syndrome (DS) is a complex disorder caused by the trisomy of either the entire, or a critical region of chromosome 21 (21q22.1-22.3). Despite representing the most common cause of mental retardation, the molecular bases of the syndrome are still largely unknown. METHODS To better understand the pathogenesis of DS, we analyzed the genome-wide transcription profiles of lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) from six DS and six euploid individuals and investigated differential gene expression and pathway deregulation associated with trisomy 21. Connectivity map and PASS-assisted exploration were used to identify compounds whose molecular signatures counteracted those of DS lymphoblasts and to predict their therapeutic potential. An experimental validation in DS LCLs and fetal fibroblasts was performed for the most deregulated GO categories, i.e. the ubiquitin mediated proteolysis and the NF-kB cascade. RESULTS We show, for the first time, that the level of protein ubiquitination is reduced in human DS cell lines and that proteasome activity is increased in both basal conditions and oxidative microenvironment. We also provide the first evidence that NF-kB transcription levels, a paradigm of gene expression control by ubiquitin-mediated degradation, is impaired in DS due to reduced IkB-alfa ubiquitination, increased NF-kB inhibitor (IkB-alfa) and reduced p65 nuclear fraction. Finally, the DSCR1/DYRK1A/NFAT genes were analysed. In human DS LCLs, we confirmed the presence of increased protein levels of DSCR1 and DYRK1A, and showed that the levels of the transcription factor NFATc2 were decreased in DS along with a reduction of its nuclear translocation upon induction of calcium fluxes. CONCLUSIONS The present work offers new perspectives to better understand the pathogenesis of DS and suggests a rationale for innovative approaches to treat some pathological conditions associated to DS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Granese
- Department of Pediatrics, Federico II University, Naples 80131, Italy
| | - Iris Scala
- Department of Pediatrics, Federico II University, Naples 80131, Italy
| | - Carmen Spatuzza
- Department of Biotechnological Sciences, Federico II University, Naples 80131, Italy
| | - Anna Valentino
- Department of Pediatrics, Federico II University, Naples 80131, Italy
| | - Marcella Coletta
- Department of Pediatrics, Federico II University, Naples 80131, Italy
| | - Rosa Anna Vacca
- Institute of Biomembranes and Bioenergetics, National Council of Research, Bari 70126, Italy
| | - Pasquale De Luca
- Stazione Zoologica “A. Dohrn”, c/o BioGeM, Via Camporeale, Ariano Irpino 83031, Italy
| | - Generoso Andria
- Department of Pediatrics, Federico II University, Naples 80131, Italy
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Ruparelia A, Pearn ML, Mobley WC. Aging and intellectual disability: insights from mouse models of Down syndrome. Dev Disabil Res Rev 2013; 18:43-50. [PMID: 23949828 DOI: 10.1002/ddrr.1127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2011] [Revised: 01/24/2012] [Accepted: 04/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS) is one of many causes of intellectual disability (ID), others including but not limited to, fetal alcohol syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, Rett syndrome, Williams syndrome, hypoxia, and infection. Down syndrome is characterized by a number of neurobiological problems resulting in learning and memory deficits and early onset Alzheimer's disease. The cognitive impairment in people with DS is virtually universal but varies considerably with respect to expressivity and severity. Significant advances in medical treatment and social inclusion have increased longevity in people with DS resulting in an increased aging population, thus highlighting the significance of early onset of dementia and the importance of identifying pharmacotherapies to treat DS-associated health complications in adults. Given its prevalence and established mouse models, this review will focus on ID in the DS population; specifically, the superimposed effect of aging on the complications already manifest in DS adults and the cognitive insights gained from studies on mouse models of DS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aarti Ruparelia
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
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Cowley PM, Keslacy S, Middleton FA, DeRuisseau LR, Fernhall B, Kanaley JA, DeRuisseau KC. Functional and biochemical characterization of soleus muscle in Down syndrome mice: insight into the muscle dysfunction seen in the human condition. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2012; 303:R1251-60. [DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00312.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Persons with Down syndrome (DS) exhibit low muscle strength that significantly impairs their physical functioning. The Ts65Dn mouse model of DS also exhibits muscle weakness in vivo and may be a useful model to examine DS-associated muscle dysfunction. Therefore, the purpose of this experiment was to directly assess skeletal muscle function in the Ts65Dn mouse and to reveal potential mechanisms of DS-associated muscle weakness. Soleus muscles were harvested from anesthetized male Ts65Dn and wild-type (WT) colony controls. In vitro muscle contractile experiments revealed normal force generation of nonfatigued Ts65Dn soleus, but a 12% reduction in force was observed during recovery from fatiguing contractions compared with WT muscle ( P < 0.05). Indicators of oxidative stress and mitochondrial oxidative capacity were assessed to reveal potential mechanisms of DS-associated muscle weakness. Protein expression of copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD1), a triplicated gene in persons with DS and Ts65Dn mice, was increased 25% ( P < 0.05) in Ts65Dn soleus. Nontriplicated antioxidant protein expression was similar between groups. Lipid peroxidation was unaltered in Ts65Dn animals, but protein oxidation was 20% greater compared with controls ( P < 0.05). Cytochrome- c oxidase expression was 22% lower in Ts65Dn muscle ( P < 0.05), while expression of citrate synthase was similar between groups. Microarray analysis revealed alteration of numerous pathways in Ts65Dn muscle, including proteolysis, glucose and fat metabolism, neuromuscular transmission, and ATP biosynthesis. In summary, despite biochemical and gene expression differences in soleus muscle of Ts65Dn animals, the functional properties of skeletal muscle likely contribute a minor part to the in vivo muscle weakness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick M. Cowley
- Syracuse University, Department of Exercise Science, Syracuse, New York
| | - Stefan Keslacy
- Syracuse University, Department of Exercise Science, Syracuse, New York
| | - Frank A. Middleton
- State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Syracuse, New York
| | | | - Bo Fernhall
- University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Applied Health Sciences, Chicago, Illinois; and
| | - Jill A. Kanaley
- University of Missouri, Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, Columbia, Missouri
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