Immunization targeting a minor plaque constituent clears β-amyloid and rescues behavioral deficits in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model

Although anti-human β-amyloid (Aβ) immunotherapy clears brain β-amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease (AD), targeting additional brain plaque constituents to promote clearance has not been attempted. Endogenous murine Aβ is a minor Aβ plaque component in amyloid precursor protein (APP) transgenic AD models, which we show is ∼3%–8% of the total accumulated Aβ in various human APP transgenic mice. Murine Aβ codeposits and colocalizes with human Aβ in amyloid plaques, and the two Aβ species coimmunoprecipitate together from brain extracts. In the human APP transgenic mouse model Tg2576, passive immunization for 8 weeks with a murine-Aβ-specific antibody reduced β-amyloid plaque pathology, robustly decreasing both murine and human Aβ levels. The immunized mice additionally showed improvements in two behavioral assays, odor habituation and nesting behavior. We conclude that passive anti-murine Aβ immunization clears Aβ plaque pathology—including the major human Aβ component—and decreases behavioral deficits, arguing that targeting minor endogenous brain plaque constituents can be beneficial, broadening the range of plaque-associated targets for AD therapeutics.     

Characterization of 7- and 19-month-old Tg2576 mice using multimodal in vivo imaging: limitations as a translatable model of Alzheimer's disease

With 90% of neuroscience clinical trials failing to see efficacy, there is a clear need for the development of disease biomarkers that can improve the ability to predict human Alzheimer's disease (AD) trial outcomes from animal studies. Several lines of evidence, including genetic susceptibility and disease studies, suggest the utility of fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) as a potential biomarker with congruency between humans and animal models. For example, early in AD, patients present with decreased glucose metabolism in the entorhinal cortex and several regions of the brain associated with disease pathology and cognitive decline. While several of the commonly used AD mouse models fail to show all the hallmarks of the disease or the limbic to cortical trajectory, there has not been a systematic evaluation of imaging-derived biomarkers across animal models of AD, contrary to what has been achieved in recent years in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) (Miller, 2009). If animal AD models were found to mimic endpoints that correlate with the disease onset, progression, and relapse, then the identification of such markers in animal models could afford the field a translational tool to help bridge the preclinical-clinical gap. Using a combination of FDG-PET and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we examined the Tg2576 mouse for global and regional measures of brain glucose metabolism at 7 and 19 months of age. In experiment 1 we observed that at younger ages, when some plaque burden and cognitive deficits have been reported, Tg2576 mice showed hypermetabolism as assessed with FDG-PET. This hypermetabolism decreased with age to levels similar to wild type (WT) counterparts such that the 19-month-old transgenic (Tg) mice did not differ from age matched WTs. In experiment 2, using cerebral blood volume (CBV) fMRI, we demonstrated that the hypermetabolism observed in Tg mice at 7 months could not be explained by changes in hemodynamic parameters as no differences were observed when compared with WTs. Taken together, these data identify brain hypermetabolism in Tg2576 mice which cannot be accounted for by changes in vascular compliance. Instead, the hypermetabolism may reflect a neuronal compensatory mechanism. Our data are discussed in the context of disease biomarker identification and target validation, suggesting little or no utility for translational based studies using Tg2576 mice.     

Corticosterone and related receptor expression are associated with increased beta-amyloid plaques in isolated Tg2576 mice

Previously, we reported that the stress associated with chronic isolation was associated with increased beta-amyloid (Abeta) plaque deposition and memory deficits in the Tg2576 transgenic animal model of Alzheimer's disease (AD) [Dong H, Goico B, Martin M, Csernansky CA, Bertchume A, Csernansky JG (2004) Effects of isolation stress on hippocampal neurogenesis, memory, and amyloid plaque deposition in APP (Tg2576) mutant mice. Neuroscience 127:601-609]. In this study, we investigated the potential mechanisms of stress-accelerated Abeta plaque deposition in this Tg2576 mice by examining the relationship between plasma corticosterone levels, expression of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and corticotropin-releasing factor receptor-1 (CRFR1) in the brain, brain tissue Abeta levels and Abeta plaque deposition during isolation or group housing from weaning (i.e. 3 weeks of age) until 27 weeks of age. We found that isolation housing significantly increased plasma corticosterone levels as compared with group-housing in both Tg+ mice (which contain and overexpress human amyloid precursor protein (hAPP) gene) and Tg- mice (which do not contain hAPP gene as control). Also, isolated, but not group-housed animals showed increases in the expression of GR in the cortex. Furthermore, the expression of CRFR1 was increased in isolated Tg+ mice, but decreased in isolated Tg- mice in both cortex and hippocampus. Changes in the components of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis were accompanied by increases in brain tissue Abeta levels and Abeta plaque deposition in the hippocampus and overlying cortex in isolated Tg+ mice. These results suggest that isolation stress increases corticosterone levels and GR and CRFR1 expression in conjunction with increases in brain tissue Abeta levels and Abeta plaque deposition in the Tg2576 mouse model of AD.     

Transient enriched housing before amyloidosis onset sustains cognitive improvement in Tg2576 mice

Levels of educational and occupational attainment, as components of cognitive reserve, may modify the relationship between the pathological hallmarks and cognition in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We examined whether exposure of a Tg2576 transgenic mouse model of AD to environmental enrichment (EE) at a specific period during the amyloidogenic process favored the establishment of a cognitive reserve. We found that exposure to EE during early adulthood of Tg2576 mice—before amyloidogenesis has started—reduced the severity of AD-related cognitive deficits more efficiently than exposure later in life, when the pathology is already present. Interestingly, early-life exposure to EE, while slightly reducing forebrain surface covered by amyloid plaques, did not significantly impact aberrant inhibitory remodeling in the hippocampus of Tg2576 mice. Thus, transient early-life exposure to EE exerts long-lasting protection against cognitive impairment during AD pathology. In addition, these data define the existence of a specific life time frame during which stimulatory activity most efficiently builds a cognitive reserve, limiting AD progression and favoring successful aging.     

Metallothionein-I and -III expression in animal models of Alzheimer disease

Previous studies have described altered expression of metallothioneins (MTs) in neurodegenerative diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS), Down syndrome, and Alzheimer's disease (AD). In order to gain insight into the possible role of MTs in neurodegenerative processes and especially in human diseases, the use of animal models is a valuable tool. Several transgenic mouse models of AD amyloid deposits are currently available. These models express human beta-amyloid precursor protein (AbetaPP) carrying different mutations that subsequently result in a varied pattern of beta-amyloid (Abeta) deposition within the brain. We have evaluated the expression of MT-I and MT-III mRNA by in situ hybridization in three different transgenic mice models of AD: Tg2576 (carrying AbetaPP harboring the Swedish K670N/M671L mutations), TgCRND8 (Swedish and the Indiana V717F mutations), and Tg-SwDI (Swedish and Dutch/Iowa E693Q/D694N mutations). MT-I mRNA levels were induced in all transgenic lines studied, although the pattern of induction differed between the models. In the Tg2576 mice MT-I was weakly upregulated in cells surrounding Congo Red-positive plaques in the cortex and hippocampus. A more potent induction of MT-I was observed in the cortex and hippocampus of the TgCRND8 mice, likely reflecting their higher amyloid plaques content. MT-I upregulation was also more significant in Tg-SwDI mice, especially in the subiculum and hippocampus CA1 area. Immunofluorescence stainings demonstrate that astrocytes and microglia/macrophages surrounding the plaques express MT-I&II. In general, MT-I regulation follows a similar but less potent response than glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression. In contrast to MT-I, MT-III mRNA expression was not significantly altered in any of the models examined suggesting that the various MT isoforms may have different roles in these experimental systems, and perhaps also in human AD.     

Nicotinamide riboside restores cognition through an upregulation of proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator 1α regulated β-secretase 1 degradation and mitochondrial gene expression in Alzheimer's mouse models

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)⁺, a coenzyme involved in redox activities in the mitochondrial electron transport chain, has been identified as a key regulator of the lifespan-extending effects, and the activation of NAD⁺ expression has been linked with a decrease in beta-amyloid (Aβ) toxicity in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Nicotinamide riboside (NR) is a NAD⁺ precursor, it promotes peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator 1 (PGC)-1α expression in the brain. Evidence has shown that PGC-1α is a crucial regulator of Aβ generation because it affects β-secretase (BACE1) degradation. In this study we tested the hypothesis that NR treatment in an AD mouse model could attenuate Aβ toxicity through the activation of PGC-1α-mediated BACE1 degradation. Using the Tg2576 AD mouse model, using in vivo behavioral analyses, biochemistry assays, small hairpin RNA (shRNA) gene silencing and electrophysiological recording, we found (1) dietary treatment of Tg2576 mice with 250 mg/kg/day of NR for 3 months significantly attenuates cognitive deterioration in Tg2576 mice and coincides with an increase in the steady-state levels of NAD⁺ in the cerebral cortex; (2) application of NR to hippocampal slices (10 μM) for 4 hours abolishes the deficits in long-term potentiation recorded in the CA1 region of Tg2576 mice; (3) NR treatment promotes PGC-1α expression in the brain coinciding with enhanced degradation of BACE1 and the reduction of Aβ production in Tg2576 mice. Further in vitro studies confirmed that BACE1 protein content is decreased by NR treatment in primary neuronal cultures derived from Tg2576 embryos, in which BACE1 degradation was prevented by PGC-1α-shRNA gene silencing; and (4) NR treatment and PGC-1α overexpression enhance BACE1 ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. Our studies suggest that dietary treatment with NR might benefit AD cognitive function and synaptic plasticity, in part by promoting PGC-1α-mediated BACE1 ubiquitination and degradation, thus preventing Aβ production in the brain.     

Retinal ganglion cell dendritic degeneration in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease

Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) may be regarded as a target biomarker in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We therefore explored the possibility that RGC degeneration, rather than cell loss, is an early marker of neuronal degeneration in a murine model of AD. RGC dendritic morphology and dendritic spine densities of CA1 hippocampal pyramidal neurons were quantified in 14-month-old transgenic mice expressing the APP(SWE) (amyloid precusor protein-Swedish mutation) mutation (Tg2576). The dendritic integrity of RGCs was found to be significantly reduced in the absence of significant RGC loss in Tg2576 mice compared with age-matched wild-type controls. In hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons, we observed dendritic spines to be present at a lower frequency from the same animals, but this did not reach significance. Synaptic and mitochondrial protein expression markers (PSD95 [postsynaptic density protein 95], synaptophysin, and Mfn2 [mitofusin 2]) showed no significant changes in RGC synaptic densities but a highly significant change in mitochondrial morphology with a marked reduction in the integrity of the mitochondrial cristae. Our findings suggest that, in a well-characterized mouse model of AD, RGC dendritic atrophy precedes cell loss, and this change may be because of accumulations of amyloid-β. Because RGC dendrites are confined to the inner plexiform layer of the retina, imaging techniques that focus on this layer, rather than the loss of RGCs, may provide a sensitive biomarker for monitoring neural damage in AD.     

Alterations in beta-amyloid production and deposition in brain regions of two transgenic models

Mutations in the amyloid precursor protein (APP) gene are associated with altered production and deposition of amyloid beta (Abeta) peptide in the Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain. The pathways that regulate APP processing, Abeta production and Abeta deposition in different tissues and brain regions remain unclear. To address this, we examined levels of various APP processing products as well as Abeta deposition in a genomic-based (R1.40) and a cDNA-based (Tg2576) transgenic mouse model of AD. In tissues, only brain generated detectable levels of the penultimate precursor to Abeta, APP C-terminal fragment-beta. In brain regions, holoAPP levels remained constant, but ratios of APP C-terminal fragments and levels of Abeta differed significantly. Surprisingly, cortex had the lowest steady-state levels of Abeta compared to other brain regions. Comparison of Abeta deposition in Tg2576 and R1.40 animals revealed that R1.40 exhibited more abundant deposition in cortex while Tg2576 exhibited extensive deposition in the hippocampus. Our results suggest that AD transgenic models are not equal; their unique characteristics must be considered when studying AD pathogenesis and therapies.     

Tg2576小鼠海马发育过程中小胶质细胞和血管的变化

目的 探讨Tg2576转基因小鼠发育过程中海马CA1区小胶质细胞增殖和血管变化的规律。方法 取不同发育时间(P0、P7、P30、P180、P360) Tg2576转基因模型鼠与同时间点野生鼠,通过应用免疫组织化学、TUNEL、墨汁灌注、RT-PCR和透射电镜等方法研究海马发育过程中小胶质细胞和血管的变化。结果 随着小鼠的生长发育,P180后转基因组海马CA1区小胶质细胞密度和血管体密度高于对照组小鼠,RT-PCR结果显示,P360时转基因组海马CA1区小胶质细胞更多处于激活状态。 结论 小胶质细胞与血管改变的共同作用加重了阿尔茨海默病。     

Transthyretin accelerates vascular Abeta deposition in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease

Transthyretin (TTR) binds amyloid-β (Aβ) and prevents Aβ fibril formation in vitro . It was reported that the lack of neurodegeneration in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD) (Tg2576 mouse) was associated with increased TTR level in the hippocampus, and that chronic infusion of anti-TTR antibody into the hippocampus of Tg2576 mice led to increased local Aβ deposits, tau hyperphosphorylation and apoptosis. TTR is, therefore, speculated to prevent Aβ pathology in AD. However, a role for TTR in Aβ deposition is not yet known. To investigate the relationship between TTR and Aβ deposition, we generated a mouse line carrying a null mutation at the endogenous TTR locus and the human mutant amyloid precursor protein cDNA responsible for familial AD (Tg2576 /TTR ^−/− mouse) by crossing Tg2576 mice with TTR-deficient mice. We asked whether Aβ deposition was accelerated in Tg2576/ TTR ^−/− mice relative to the heterozygous mutant Tg2576 (Tg2576/ TTR ^+/−) mice. Contrary to our expectations, the degree of total and vascular Aβ burdens in the aged Tg2576/ TTR ^−/− mice was significantly reduced relative to the age-matched Tg2576/ TTR ^+/− mice. Our experiments present, for the first time, compelling evidence that TTR does not suppress but rather accelerates vascular Aβ deposition in the mouse model of AD.     

Long-term immunomodulatory effect of amniotic stem cells in an Alzheimer's disease model

Amyloid beta (Aβ) plays a major role in Alzheimer's disease (AD), and neuroinflammatory processes mediated by Aβ plaque-induced microglial cells and astrocytes contribute to AD pathogenesis. The present study examined human placenta amniotic membrane-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AMSCs), which have potent immunomodulatory and paracrine effects in a Tg2576 (APPswe) transgenic mouse model of AD. AMSCs secreted high levels of transforming growth factor-β under in vitro inflammatory environment conditions. Six weeks after the intravenous injection of AMSCs, APPswe mice showed evidence of improved spatial learning, which significantly correlated with the observation of fewer Aβ plaques in brain. The number of ED1-positive phagocytic microglial cells associated with Aβ plaques was higher in AMSC-injected mice than in phosphate-buffered saline-injected mice, and the level of Aβ-degrading enzymes (matrix metallopeptidase-9 and insulin-degrading enzyme) was also significantly higher. Furthermore, the level of proinflammatory cytokines, interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor-α, was lower and that of anti-inflammatory cytokines, interleukin-10 and transforming growth factor-β, was higher in AMSC-injected mice than phosphate-buffered saline-injected mice. These effects lasted until 12 weeks after AMSC injection. Taken together, these results collectively suggest that injection of AMSCs might show significant long-lasting improvement in AD pathology and memory function via immunomodulatory and paracrine mechanisms.     

Impaired long-trace eyeblink conditioning in a Tg2576 mouse model of Alzheimer's disease

Eyeblink conditioning has been used for assessing cognitive performance in cases of human neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we tested and compared the delay and long-trace interval (TI = 500 ms) eyeblink conditionings in a Tg2576 mouse model of AD, at the age of 3, 6, and 12 months. Tg2576 mice exhibited significant impairment in trace conditioning at 6 months of age. In contrast, delay conditioning was not impaired in Tg2576 mice even at 12 months. These findings indicate that the long-TI eyeblink conditioning is more susceptible to age-related cognitive deterioration than delay conditioning in Tg2576 mice. The long-trace eyeblink conditioning could be a potential tool for detecting early cognitive deficits in AD mouse model.     

Modulation of lipopolysaccharide-induced memory insult, γ-secretase,and neuroinflammation in triple transgenic mice by 5-lipoxygenase

Besides amyloid and tau pathology, a constant feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an intense inflammatory response, which is considered an active player in its pathogenesis. The 5-Lipoxygenase (5LO) is a proinflammatory enzyme and an endogenous modulator of AD-like phenotype in mouse models of the disease. To further understand the role of 5LO in AD pathogenesis, we exposed the triple transgenic (3×Tg) and 3×Tg/5LO knockout mice to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a known inducer of neuroinflammation, and evaluated its effect on their AD-like phenotype. 3×Tg mice treated with LPS manifested a worsening of behavior, γ-secretase up-regulation, and increased neuroinflammatory responses. These effects were completely prevented in 3×Tg mice genetically deficient for 5LO. By contrast, the absence of 5LO did not protect against increase in tau phosphorylation at specific epitopes that were mediated by the activation of the cyclin-dependent kinase 5. Our data demonstrate that the 5LO pathway affects key neuropathological features of the AD-like phenotype (behavior, abeta, microgliosis, astrocytosis) but not others (tau pathology) in the LPS-dependent neuroinflammation model. The opposite ways whereby 5LO influences the LPS-dependent effects in vivo supports the complex nature of the neuroinflammatory response in AD and its differential role in modulating amyloid and tau neuropathology.     

Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide protects against β-amyloid toxicity

Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a neurotrophin. However, its role in human Alzheimer's disease (AD) is largely unknown. We examined PACAP expression in postmortem human AD and triple transgenic mouse (3xTG, Psen1/APPSwe/TauP301L) brains. We established an in vitro model of primary neuronal cell culture to study the protective effects of PACAP against β-amyloid (Aβ) toxicity. We further studied the PACAP-Sirtuin 3 (Sirt3) pathway on mitochondrial function. PACAP expression was reduced in AD and 3xTG mouse brains. This reduction was inversely correlated with Aβ and tau protein levels. Treatment with PACAP effectively protected neurons against Aβ toxicity. PACAP stimulated mitochondrial Sirt3 production. Similar to PACAP, Sirt3 was reduced in AD and 3xTG brains. Knocking down Sirt3 compromised the neuroprotective effects of PACAP, and this was reversed by over-expressing Sirt3. PACAP is reduced in AD and may represent a novel therapeutic strategy.     

Correlation of Aβ deposition in the nasal cavity with the formation of senile plaques in the brain of a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease

The deposition of β-amyloid peptides (Aβ) is commonly reported in the nasal cavity of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, although the pathological significance of this finding is unknown. This study compared Aβ concentrations in the nasal area with those in the brain, blood, and cerebrospinal fluid, respectively. Immunohistochemical analysis identified Aβ deposits in the nasal epithelium of Tg2576 mice. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay measurements revealed a correlation between the content of Aβ42 in the nasal area and that in the brain, but not with that in the blood. These results suggest that the highly accessible nasal cavity could be a useful site for diagnostic analysis of AD based on Aβ content.     

Chronic dietary alpha-lipoic acid reduces deficits in hippocampal memory of aged Tg2576 mice

Oxidative stress may play a key role in Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuropathology. Here, the effects of the antioxidant, alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) were tested on the Tg2576 mouse, a transgenic model of cerebral amyloidosis associated with AD. Ten-month old Tg2576 and wild type mice were fed an ALA-containing diet (0.1%) or control diet for 6 months and then assessed for the influence of diet on memory and neuropathology. ALA-treated Tg2576 mice exhibited significantly improved learning, and memory retention in the Morris water maze task compared to untreated Tg2576 mice. Twenty-four hours after contextual fear conditioning, untreated Tg2576 mice exhibited significantly impaired context-dependent freezing. ALA-treated Tg2576 mice exhibited significantly more context freezing than the untreated Tg2576 mice. Assessment of brain soluble and insoluble beta-amyloid levels revealed no differences between ALA-treated and untreated Tg2576 mice. Brain levels of nitrotyrosine, a marker of nitrative stress, were elevated in Tg2576 mice, while F2 isoprostanes and neuroprostanes, oxidative stress markers, were not elevated in the Tg2576 mice relative to wild type. These data indicate that chronic dietary ALA can reduce hippocampal-dependent memory deficits of Tg2576 mice without affecting beta-amyloid levels or plaque deposition.     

Progranulin expression correlates with dense‐core amyloid plaque burden in Alzheimer disease mouse models

Amyloid‐β (Aβ) plaques are pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer disease (AD). In addition, innate inflammatory responses, such as those mediated by microglia, are integral to the pathogenesis of AD. Interestingly, only dense‐core plaques and not diffuse plaques are associated with neuritic and inflammatory pathology in AD patients as well as in mouse AD models. However, the precise neuropathological changes that occur in the brain in response to amyloid deposition are largely unknown. To study the molecular mechanism(s) responsible for Aβ‐mediated neuropathology, we performed a gene expression analysis on laser‐microdissected brain tissue of Tg2576 and APPPS1 mice that are characterized by different types of amyloid plaques and genetic backgrounds. Data were validated by image and biochemical analyses on different ages of Tg2576, APPPS1, and Aβ42‐depositing BRI‐Aβ42 mice. Consistent with an important role of inflammatory responses in AD, we identified progranulin (mouse Grn; human GRN) as one of the top ten up‐regulated molecules in Tg2576 (≈8‐fold increased) and APPPS1 (≈2‐fold increased) mice compared to littermate controls, and among the eight significantly up‐regulated molecules common to both mouse models. In addition, Grn levels correlated significantly with amyloid load, especially the dense‐core plaque pathology (p < 0.001). We further showed that Grn is up‐regulated in microglia and neurons and neurites around dense‐core plaques, but not in astrocytes or oligodendrocytes, as has been shown in AD patients. Our data therefore support the ongoing use of these mouse models in drug trials, especially those with anti‐inflammatory compounds. Moreover, the correlation of Grn with increasing disease severity in AD mouse models prompts human studies exploring the viability of GRN as a disease biomarker. Because loss of GRN has recently been shown to cause frontotemporal dementia and serves as a risk factor for AD, the strong GRN reactivity around dense‐core plaques is consistent with an important role of this factor in AD pathogenesis. Copyright © 2009 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mitochondria are a direct site of A beta accumulation in Alzheimer's disease neurons: implications for free radical generation and oxidative damage in disease progression

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complex, neurodegenerative disease characterized by the impairment of cognitive function in elderly individuals. In a recent global gene expression study of APP transgenic mice, we found elevated expression of mitochondrial genes, which we hypothesize represents a compensatory response because of mitochondrial oxidative damage caused by the over-expression of mutant APP and/or amyloid beta (Abeta). We investigated this hypothesis in a series of experiments examining what forms of APP and Abeta localize to the mitochondria, and whether the presence of these species is associated with mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative damage. Using immunoblotting, digitonin fractionation, immunofluorescence, and electron microscopy techniques, we found a relationship between mutant APP derivatives and mitochondria in brain slices from Tg2576 mice and in mouse neuroblastoma cells expressing mutant human APP. Further, to determine the functional relationship between mutant APP/Abeta and oxidative damage, we quantified Abeta levels, hydrogen peroxide production, cytochrome oxidase activity and carbonyl proteins in Tg2576 mice and age-matched wild-type (WT) littermates. Hydrogen peroxide levels were found to be significantly increased in Tg2576 mice when compared with age-matched WT littermates and directly correlated with levels of soluble Abeta in Tg2576 mice, suggesting that soluble Abeta may be responsible for the production of hydrogen peroxide in AD progression in Tg2576 mice. Cytochrome c oxidase activity was found to be decreased in Tg2576 mice when compared with age-matched WT littermates, suggesting that mutant APP and soluble Abeta impair mitochondrial metabolism in AD development and progression. An increase in hydrogen peroxide and a decrease in cytochrome oxidase activity were found in young Tg2576 mice, prior to the appearance of Abeta plaques. These findings suggest that early mitochondrially targeted therapeutic interventions may be effective in delaying AD progression in elderly individuals and in treating AD patients.     

Contribution of complement activation pathways to neuropathology differs among mouse models of Alzheimer's disease

Background  

Complement proteins and activation products have been found associated with neuropathology in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recently, a C5a receptor antagonist was shown to suppress neuropathology in two murine models of AD, Tg2576 and 3xTg. Previously, a genetic deficiency of C1q in the Tg2576 mouse model showed an accumulation of fibrillar plaques similar to the complement sufficient Tg2576, but reactive glia were significantly decreased and neuronal integrity was improved suggesting detrimental consequences for complement activation in AD. The goal of this study was to define the role of the classical complement activation pathway in the progression of pathology in the 3xTg mouse that develops tangles in addition to fibrillar plaques (more closely reflecting human AD pathology) and to assess the influence of complement in a model of AD with a higher level of complement hemolytic activity.