Episodic-like memory deficits in the APPswe/PS1dE9 mouse model of Alzheimer's disease: Relationships to β-amyloid deposition and neurotransmitter abnormalities

Transgenic mice made by crossing animals expressing mutant amyloid precursor protein (APPswe) to mutant presenilin 1 (PS1dE9) allow for incremental increases in Aβ42 production and provide a model of Alzheimer-type amyloidosis. Here, we examine cognition in 6- and 18-month old transgenic mice expres...

Full description

Saved in:

Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Neurobiology of disease Vol. 18; no. 3; pp. 602 - 617
Main Authors:	Savonenko, Alena, Xu, Guilian M., Melnikova, Tatiana, Morton, Johanna L., Gonzales, Victoria, Wong, Molly P.F., Price, Donald L., Tang, Fai, Markowska, Alicja L., Borchelt, David R.
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	United States Elsevier Inc 01-04-2005 Elsevier
Subjects:	Acetylcholine - biosynthesis Acetylcholine - genetics Aging Alzheimer Disease - genetics Alzheimer Disease - metabolism Alzheimer Disease - physiopathology Amyloid beta-Peptides - biosynthesis Amyloid beta-Peptides - genetics Amyloid beta-Peptides - metabolism Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor - biosynthesis Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor - genetics Animals Cholinergic system Factor analysis Female Humans Male Maze Learning - physiology Membrane Proteins - biosynthesis Membrane Proteins - genetics Memory Disorders - genetics Memory Disorders - metabolism Mice Mice, Inbred C3H Mice, Inbred C57BL Mice, Transgenic Neurotransmitter Agents - biosynthesis Neurotransmitter Agents - genetics Presenilin-1 Radial Water Maze Reaction Time - physiology Somatostatin Somatostatin - biosynthesis Somatostatin - genetics Aging Cholinergic system Radial Water Maze Factor analysis Somatostatin
Online Access:	Get full text
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!

Description
Summary:	Transgenic mice made by crossing animals expressing mutant amyloid precursor protein (APPswe) to mutant presenilin 1 (PS1dE9) allow for incremental increases in Aβ42 production and provide a model of Alzheimer-type amyloidosis. Here, we examine cognition in 6- and 18-month old transgenic mice expressing APPswe and PS1dE9, alone and in combination. Spatial reference memory was assessed in a standard Morris Water Maze task followed by assessment of episodic-like memory in Repeated Reversal and Radial Water maze tasks. We then used factor analysis to relate changes in performance in these tasks with cholinergic markers, somatostatin levels, and amyloid burden. At 6 months of age, APPswe/PS1dE9 double-transgenic mice showed visible plaque deposition; however, all genotypes, including double-transgenic mice, were indistinguishable from nontransgenic animals in all cognitive measures. In the 18-month-old cohorts, amyloid burdens were much higher in APPswe/PS1dE9 mice with statistically significant but mild decreases in cholinergic markers (cortex and hippocampus) and somatostatin levels (cortex). APPswe/PS1dE9 mice performed all cognitive tasks less well than mice from all other genotypes. Factor and correlation analyses defined the strongest correlation as between deficits in episodic-like memory tasks and total Aβ loads in the brain. Collectively, we find that, in the APPswe/PS1dE9 mouse model, some form of Aβ associated with amyloid deposition can disrupt cognitive circuits when the cholinergic and somatostatinergic systems remain relatively intact; and that episodic-like memory seems to be more sensitive to the toxic effects of Aβ.
ISSN:	0969-9961 1095-953X
DOI:	10.1016/j.nbd.2004.10.022