Comprehensive behavioral testing in the R6/2 mouse model of Huntington's disease shows no benefit from CoQ10 or minocycline

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 5; no. 3; p. e9793
• Main Authors: Menalled, Liliana B, Patry, Monica, Ragland, Natalie, Lowden, Phillip A S, Goodman, Jennifer, Minnich, Jennie, Zahasky, Benjamin, Park, Larry, Leeds, Janet, Howland, David, Signer, Ethan, Tobin, Allan J, Brunner, Daniela
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 22-03-2010; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Analysis; Animal husbandry; Animal models; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Antibiotics; Behavior, Animal - drug effects; Body weight; Body Weight - drug effects; Brain research; Climbing; Clinical trials; Coenzyme Q10; Disease Models, Animal; Drugs; Enzymes; Evidence-based medicine; Female; Food; Grip strength; Hand Strength; Huntington Disease - genetics; Huntington's disease; Huntingtons disease; Laboratory animals; Male; Medical research; Metabolism; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Inbred DBA; Minocycline; Minocycline - pharmacology; Motor Skills - drug effects; Neurobiology; Neurological Disorders; Neuroscience; Neuroscience/Neurobiology of Disease and Regeneration; Neurosciences; Nutrition; Studies; Survival; Ubiquinone - analogs & derivatives; Ubiquinone - pharmacology; New York; Los Angeles California; California; United States > US
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0009793

Previous studies of the effects of coenzyme Q10 and minocycline on mouse models of Huntington's disease have produced conflicting results regarding their efficacy in behavioral tests. Using our recently published best practices for husbandry and testing for mouse models of Huntington's disease, we report that neither coenzyme Q10 nor minocycline had significant beneficial effects on measures of motor function, general health (open field, rotarod, grip strength, rearing-climbing, body weight and survival) in the R6/2 mouse model. The higher doses of minocycline, on the contrary, reduced survival. We were thus unable to confirm the previously reported benefits for these two drugs, and we discuss potential reasons for these discrepancies, such as the effects of husbandry and nutrition.