APPswe/PS1dE9转基因小鼠小脑内突触素及BDNF/Trk-B蛋白表达的变化

目的：观察APP/PS1转基因小鼠小脑突触素及BDNF/Trk-B蛋白表达变化。方法：选用9月龄APP/PS1雄鼠（n1）和同窝对照野生型WT雄鼠（n2）。采用Western blot （n1=6;n2=6）、免疫组化（n1=4;n2=4）两种方式定量、定位测定小脑组织功能活性依赖蛋白突触素、脑源性神经营养因子（BDNF）和其高亲和力受体（Trk-B）的蛋白表达。用透射电镜观察小脑皮质突触超微结构变化（n1=2;n2=2）。结果：与WT组相比,APP/PS1组小脑皮质内突触素、BDNF/Trk-B表达明显减少;突触间隙增宽,突触后致密区变薄,密度降低。结论：APP/PS1小鼠小脑皮质中突触素、BDNF/Trk-B蛋白含量均明显降低,突触超微结构也发生明显改变,提示AD小脑突触数量及形态变化可能与BDNF合成及释放减少有关。     

APP/PS1双转基因小鼠的繁育、鉴定及评价

目的：评价APP/PS1双转基因小鼠基因表达及认知行为能力的变化,为AD的相关研究提供有效的动物模型。方法：采用雄、雌鼠1：1合笼配对的方式,令APP/PS1双转基因小鼠自然交配进行繁育。PCR鉴定APP/PS1双转基因鼠仔鼠的基因型后,选择APP/PS1阳性小鼠作为模型（AD）组,同批APP/PS1阴性为对照（CT）组,每组8只小鼠。以Morris水迷宫实验检测仔鼠的空间学习记忆能力,以HE染色、刚果红染色观察仔鼠脑片组织病理学改变。结果：①APP/PS1双转基因鼠仔鼠基因经PCR扩增,出现约360 bp的目的基因条带,表明成功繁育出转入APP/PS1基因的仔鼠;②Morris水迷宫实验结果显示,与7月龄阴性小鼠（CT组）比较,同月龄的双转基因AD组小鼠的空间学习记忆能力明显降低（P<0.05）;③HE染色结果显示,AD组小鼠海马结构及细胞形态出现明显异常;刚果红染色结果显示,AD组小鼠脑片组织出现β淀粉样蛋白斑块沉积。结论：APP/PS1双转基因小鼠较好地模拟了AD的病理变化及行为学特征,可作为研究AD发病机制及开发AD防治药物的实验工具。     

APP/PS1年轻小鼠的早期学习记忆缺陷及血清注射治疗效果分析

目的:明确经典阿尔兹海默症(Alzheimer's Disease,AD)小鼠模型APP/PS1的年轻小鼠是否存在学习记忆障碍,并探讨尾静脉注射同龄小鼠的血清是否可以改善年老AD小鼠的认知能力。方法:根据转基因小鼠的基因型,将同龄小鼠分为wildtype(WT)和APP/PS1两组,首先用物体辨别实验(Novel object recognition,NOR)检测2个月龄小鼠的认知能力(90min retention:WT n=6,APP/PS1 n=8; 24hours retention:WT n=7, APP/PS1=8),同时用Morris水迷宫实验(Morris water maze,MWM)检测2个月龄小鼠的空间学习记忆能力(WT n=6, APP/PS1 n=5);采用内眦取血法从8月龄小鼠中获取全血,高速离心获得血清。将8月龄APP/PS1小鼠分为两组:对照组注射PBS(n=7),实验组注射血清(n=6),每周注射两次,100μL/只/次,连续注射3周。注射结束后,用NOR法检测对照组和实验组小鼠的认知能力。结果:NOR实验结果显示APP/PS1小鼠的辨别指数(Discrimination index(%))显著低于WT小鼠(P0.05);MWM实验结果显示APP/PS1小鼠到达平台的时间明显长于WT小鼠,同时在测试阶段中,APP/PS1小鼠在目的象限的探索时间及穿越次数显著低于WT小鼠(P0.05);治疗实验中,与对照组APP/PS1小鼠的辨别指数相比较,实验组APP/PS1小鼠在注射同龄小鼠的血清后,其物体辨别指数显著升高(P0.05),小鼠脑中的Aβ沉淀明显减少。结论:APP/PS1小鼠在2个月左右就会表现出明显的学习记忆障碍;注射正常同龄鼠的血清可以明显改善APP/PS1小鼠的学习记忆能力同时阻碍Aβ沉淀的形成。     

氟西汀通过增加阿尔茨海默病APP/PS1转基因小鼠脑内乙酰胆碱的含量改善其空间学习能力

目的探讨胆碱能神经系统是否是抗抑郁药氟西汀(Fluoxetine,FLXT)改善阿尔茨海默病(Alzheimer's disease,AD)患者大脑空间学习记忆能力的作用靶点。方法随机选取18月龄的雄性APP/PS1双转基因AD小鼠20只分为阳性对照组(APP/PSI组)和FLXT组,分别给予为期4周的腹腔注射生理盐水和FLXT,并随机选取18月龄同窝生野生型(wild type,WT)小鼠10只作为阴性对照组(WT组),该组不给于药物干预。运用Morris水迷宫实验对三组小鼠的空间学习记忆能力进行检测,采用免疫组织化学染色和紫外分光光度法对三组小鼠大脑内β-淀粉样蛋白(amyloidβ-protein,Aβ)沉积情况和乙醜胆碱(acetylcholine,Ach)的含量、乙酰胆碱脂酶(acetylcholinesterase,AchE)及胆碱乙酰化酶(choline acetyl transferase,ChAT)活性等进行检测。结果水迷宫实验显示,APP/PS1小鼠逃避潜伏期显著长于WT小鼠,FLXT处理可明显缩短APP/PS1小鼠逃避潜伏期;免疫组织化学染色显示,WT小鼠脑内未见明显Aβ沉积,而APP/PSI小鼠海马内可见大量Aβ沉积,FLXT处理可明显减少APP/PS1小鼠海马内Aβ沉积;对Ach含量、AchE和ChAT活性检测显示,APP/PS1小鼠大脑皮质及海马内的Ach含量、AchE活性及皮质内的CHAT活性均较WT小鼠降低,FLXT处理可明显抑制APP/PS1小鼠大脑皮质及海马内Ach含量、AchE活性的降低,但对ChAT活性没明显的作用。结论胆碱能系统可能是FLXT作用于AD大脑的作用靶点之一,即FLXT可能通过增加AD大脑胆碱能神经系统的神经功能活性,进而增加Ach的含量,从而改善AD大脑的空间学习记忆能力。     

齐墩果酸对APP/PS-1双转基因AD小鼠的神经保护作用研究

摘要 目的：研究齐墩果酸（Oleanolic Acid，OA）对APP/PS-1双转基因阿尔茨海默病（Alzheimer''s disease，AD）小鼠模型神经保护作用及机制。方法：选取6月龄APP/PS-1雄性小鼠21只，随机分为模型组（0.5% CMC-Na）、阳性组（多奈哌齐组，0.7 mg?kg^-1）、齐墩果酸组（10 mg?kg^-1）每组7只，6月龄同背景SPF级C57BL/6小鼠7只为对照组。灌胃8周之后通过Morris水迷宫实验观察小鼠学习记忆能力的改变，HE染色观察神经元细胞形态，ELISA检测血清中Aβ1-42含量；免疫组化检测Aβ_1-42、APP、Iba1蛋白表达情况；Western blot检测APP、Iba1蛋白表达水平。结果：（1）对照组，模型组，阳性组及齐墩果酸组进入有效区域次数分别为7.00±2.09，1.00±0.89，3.67±1.97，4.33±2.50，与模型组相比，对照组，阳性组，齐墩果酸组均有统计学意义（P<0.05）；（2）血清Aβ_1-42含量按上述顺序依次为4.98±0.25，2.50±0.66，4.63±0.73，4.36±0.97，与模型组相比，对照组，阳性组，齐墩果酸组均有统计学意义（P<0.05）；（3）免疫组化结果显示与模型组相比，对照组，阳性组，齐墩果酸组Aβ_1-42、APP、Iba1蛋白阳性细胞数减少；（4）WB结果：对照组，模型组，阳性组，齐墩果酸组APP蛋白相对表达量分别为0.52±0.17，1.38±0.35，0.89±0.25，0.93±0.27；这四组的IBA1蛋白相对表达量分别为0.98±0.34，1.79±0.74，1.06±0.61，0.88±0.49，与模型组相比，野生对照组，阳性组，齐墩果酸组APP、IBA1蛋白相对含量有统计学意义（P<0.05）。结论：齐墩果酸组可以改善APP/PS-1模型小鼠记忆力及认知功能，降低海马神经元的损伤，并通过下调Aβ_1-42、APP、Iba1蛋白的表达水平来发挥保护神经作用。     

SB239063对APPswe/PS1dE9小鼠Aβ生成的调控作用及机制研究

目的:探讨p38MAPK抑制剂SB239063对AD模型小鼠认知功能障碍及其脑内β-淀粉样蛋白(beta-amyloid protein,Aβ)表达情况的影响。方法:采用6月龄APPswe/PS1d E9(APP/PS1)双转基因雄性AD模型小鼠及同龄野生型(WT)C57BL/6J小鼠为研究对象,将小鼠随机分为SB239063-WT治疗组、WT对照组、SB239063-APP/PS1治疗组和APP/PS1对照组,治疗组小鼠接受腹腔注射SB239063药物溶液(用3%DMSO生理盐水溶液溶解,给药剂量为15 mg/kg),对照组小鼠接受腹腔注射相应体积的3%DMSO生理盐水溶液,1次/日连续给药6周。采用Morris水迷宫、蛋白质印迹法(Western Blot)和酶联免疫吸附法(ELISA)分别评估各组小鼠学习记忆功能、Aβ含量及其相关酶β-位点APP裂解酶1(BACE1)、早老素1(PS1)的表达水平。结果:水迷宫结果显示,与APP/PS1对照组相比,SB239063慢性治疗可以明显缩短APP/PS1小鼠找到隐藏平台所需的潜伏期(P0.01),增加APP/PS1小鼠在目标象限停留时间百分比(P0.01)和穿越原平台区域的次数(P0.01);ELISA结果显示,给予SB239063治疗能够显著减少AD小鼠脑内可溶性Aβ1-42(P0.05)、Aβ1-40(P0.05)和Aβ寡聚体(P0.01)的含量;Western blot结果显示,给予SB239063治疗后APP/PS1小鼠脑内皮层和海马组织中的p-p38MAPK(P0.01)、BACE1(P0.01)、PS1(P0.01)的表达水平明显下降。结论:SB239063可能通过下调p38MAPK的磷酸化水平抑制BACE1和PS1的表达,从而减少Aβ的生成并且改善AD小鼠的学习记忆功能损害,提示SB239063对Aβ所造成的病理损害具有潜在的治疗作用。     

阿魏酸对阿尔茨海默病转基因小鼠脑内氧化应激和凋亡相关蛋白的影响

本文主要研究阿魏酸对APP/PS1转基因小鼠脑内氧化应激和凋亡相关蛋白的影响。应用Western blot和Real-Time PCR方法检测野生型小鼠、APP/PS1转基因小鼠及不同浓度阿魏酸处理组小鼠脑内凋亡相关蛋白的表达情况,并测定各组小鼠脑内SOD活力和MDA含量。阿魏酸处理后的AD模型小鼠SOD与AD组相比活性增加,MDA含量减少,其中中浓度阿魏酸处理组的效果最为明显;APP/PS1转基因小鼠脑内所检测的凋亡相关蛋白p-JNK、p-C-Jun、Caspase-3、Bax和Bcl-2表达较野生型小鼠明显升高,阿魏酸处理后这些磷酸化蛋白的表达显著减少,并且中浓度阿魏酸处理组的效果最为明显。以上结果表明阿魏酸通过其强大的抗氧化作用降低AD小鼠脑内的氧化应激效应,并且可以降低AD小鼠脑内凋亡相关蛋白的表达,提示阿魏酸在AD的临床治疗方面具有重要的理论意义。     

基于HIF-1α-iNOS信号通路探讨瑞舒伐他汀联合缺血后处理对糖尿病小鼠的心肌保护作用

摘要 目的：探讨瑞舒伐他汀联合缺血后处理对糖尿病小鼠心肌的作用并分析其保护作用的机制。方法：应用高脂高糖饮食的方法构建2型糖尿病小鼠动物模型,随机分为假手术组（sham组）、缺血/再灌注组(I/R组)、缺血后处理组（IpostC组）及瑞舒伐他汀联合缺血后处理组（RPO+IpostC组）,每组10只。分析各组小鼠低氧诱导因子-1α（HIF-1α）、诱导型一氧化氮合酶（iNOS）蛋白表达及血浆炎症因子、血清一氧化氮（NO）水平变化,观察各组小鼠心肌梗死面积、心肌组织HE染色结构变化。结果：与I/R组、IPostC组相比,RPO+IpostC组HIF-1α,iNOS蛋白表达显著上调（P<0.05）;与IpostC 组相比,RPO+ IpostC组小鼠血清NO和血浆IL-1β、IL-6、TNF-α水平均明显降低,血浆IL-10升高（P<0.05）;经显微镜观察显示,sham组小鼠的心肌细胞HE染色结构正常,RPO+IpostC组小鼠心肌细胞HE染色后损伤相对较小;与I/R组相比,IpostC组和RPO+IpostC组小鼠缺血面积（AAR/LV）、梗死面积（IRR/AAR）均明显减小,且RPO+IpostC组小鼠AAR/LV、IRR/AAR最小（P<0.05）。结论：瑞舒伐他汀联合缺血后处理可以通过对糖尿病小鼠HIF-1α-iNOS信号通路进行调节,进而上调HIF-1α、iNOS蛋白表达,减轻炎症反应,降低心肌细胞缺血再灌注损伤,保护心肌。     

乳铁蛋白修饰纳米粒包载的α-倒捻子素对AD模型动物脑内特征性病理改变的影响

目的:采用乳铁蛋白修饰的PEG-PLA纳米粒为递药工具包载α-M,探讨其对快速老化SAMP8小鼠AD相关脑内病理特征的改善作用。方法:用乳化/溶剂蒸发法制备载α-M的PEG-PLA纳米粒NP(α-M),将巯基化的乳铁蛋白连接于纳米粒表面,得到Lf-NP(α-M)。7月龄SAMP8系小鼠尾静脉给予注射生理盐水、Lf-NP(α-M)或空白纳米粒溶液,每日一次,连续两周。正常老化小鼠SAMR为模型对照组,通过对脑组织进行免疫组化分析,观察Lf-NP(α-M)对SAMP8小鼠脑内炎症、Aβ沉积等AD特征性病理变化的影响。结果:0.5、2 mg/kgα-M对SAMP8小鼠脑内小胶质细胞激活、星形胶质细胞增生以及Aβ沉积均无显著影响;0.5mg/kg Lf-NP(α-M)可抑制小胶质细胞的激活(P0.001),2 mg/m L Lf-NP(α-M)显著抑制星形胶质细胞增生以及Aβ沉积(P0.05)。结论:乳铁蛋白修饰的包载α-M的可降解纳米粒脑靶向递药系统成功有效,显著提高α-M的成药性并改善AD模型小鼠脑内特征性病理改变。     

APP/PS1转基因鼠脑内小泛素化修饰物-1上调可能参与阿尔茨海默病老年斑形成和神经突起变性的调节北大核心CSCD

小泛素化修饰物(small ubiquitin-related modifier,SUMO)是一类重要的类泛素蛋白,研究显示一些神经退行性疾病相关蛋白可以被SUMO化修饰。本文旨在观察APP/PS1转基因阿尔茨海默病(Alzheimer’s disease,AD)鼠中SUMO-1表达及修饰的变化,并探讨SUMO-1与AD病理的关系。采用免疫印迹的方法检测12月龄的APP/PS1转基因AD鼠脑内SUMO-1表达及修饰的变化,同时用免疫共沉淀及免疫荧光的方法研究AD鼠脑内SUMO-1与tau、APP和Aβ的关系。结果显示:(1)与正常野生型小鼠相比,AD鼠脑内SUMO-1表达及其修饰的蛋白增加,同时伴有泛素化蛋白的增加;(2)AD鼠大脑皮层的RIPA可溶蛋白组份中,SUMO-1修饰的tau增加,而AT8抗体识别的磷酸化tau的SUMO-1修饰减少,但422位点磷酸化tau的SUMO-1修饰没有明显改变;(3)SUMO-1与磷酸化tau、APP及Aβ免疫荧光双标显示,在AD鼠脑内SUMO-1可在老年斑的中部和周围分布,并且SUMO-1与AT8识别的磷酸化tau在老年斑周围的变性神经突起中有相对较多的共存,但与APP、PS422识别的磷酸化tau和Aβ的共定位很少。以上结果提示,SUMO-1在APP/PS1转基因AD小鼠脑内表达增加,并可能参与变性神经突起及老年斑形成的调节。     

Age-related changes of brain iron load changes in the frontal cortex in APPswe/PS1ΔE9 transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) as a neurodegenerative brain disorder is a devastating pathology leading to disastrous cognitive impairments and dementia, associated with major social and economic costs to society. Iron can catalyze damaging free radical reactions. With age, iron accumulates in brain frontal cortex regions and may contribute to the risk of AD. In this communication, we investigated the age-related brain iron load changes in the frontal cortex of 6- and 12-month-old C57BL/6J (C57) and APP_swe/PS1_ΔE9 (APP/PS1) double transgenic mouse by using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) and Perls’ reaction. In the present study, we also evaluated the age-related changes of DMT1 and FPN1 by using Western blot and qPCR. We found that compared with 6-month-old APP/PS1 mice and the 12-month-old C57 mice, the 12-month-old APP/PS1 mice had increased iron load in the frontal cortex. The levels of DMT1 were significantly increased and the FPN1 were significantly reduced in the frontal cortex of the 12-month-old APP/PS1 mice than that in the 6-month-old APP/PS1 mice and 12-month-old C57 mice. We conclude that in AD damage occurs in conjunction with iron accumulation, and the brain iron load associated with loss control of the brain iron metabolism related protein DMT1 and FPN1 expressions.     

1H NMR metabolomics investigation of an Alzheimer’s disease (AD) mouse model pinpoints important biochemical disturbances in brain and plasma

In this study data generated by ¹H NMR were combined with chemometrics to analyse brain and plasma samples from APP/PS1 and wild type mice with the aim of developing a statistical model capable of predicting the features of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) displayed by this animal model. APP/PS1 is a well characterised double transgenic mouse model of AD and the results here demonstrate the potential of NMR technology as a platform for the detecting this disease. Using partial least squares discriminant analysis a model was built using both brain extracts (R² = 0.99; Q² = 0.66) and a high throughput method of plasma analysis (R² = 0.98; Q² = 0.75) capable of predicting AD in APP/PS1 mice. Analysis of brain extracts led to the elucidation of 20 metabolites and 16 of these were quantifiable. Relative brain levels of ascorbate, creatine, γ-aminobutyric acid and N-acetyl aspartic acid were significantly altered in APP/PS1 mice (p < 0.05). Analysis of plasma identified 14 metabolites and the levels of acetate, citrate, glutamate, glutamine, methionine, and an unknown signal were significantly altered in APP/PS1 mice (p < 0.05). Combining ¹H NMR spectral data with chemometrics has been previously used to study biochemical disturbances in various disease states. This study further indicates the translational potential of this technology for identifying AD in people attending the memory clinic.     

Overexpression of Human Apolipoprotein A-I Preserves Cognitive Function and Attenuates Neuroinflammation and Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer Disease

To date there is no effective therapy for Alzheimer disease (AD). High levels of circulating high density lipoprotein (HDL) and its main protein, apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I), reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Clinical studies show that plasma HDL cholesterol and apoA-I levels are low in patients with AD. To investigate if increasing plasma apoA-I/HDL levels ameliorates AD-like memory deficits and amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition, we generated a line of triple transgenic (Tg) mice overexpressing mutant forms of amyloid-β precursor protein (APP) and presenilin 1 (PS1) as well as human apoA-I (AI). Here we show that APP/PS1/AI triple Tg mice have a 2-fold increase of plasma HDL cholesterol levels. When tested in the Morris water maze for spatial orientation abilities, whereas APP/PS1 mice develop age-related learning and memory deficits, APP/PS1/AI mice continue to perform normally during aging. Interestingly, no significant differences were found in the total level and deposition of Aβ in the brains of APP/PS1 and APP/PS1/AI mice, but cerebral amyloid angiopathy was reduced in APP/PS1/AI mice. Also, consistent with the anti-inflammatory properties of apoA-I/HDL, glial activation was reduced in the brain of APP/PS1/AI mice. In addition, Aβ-induced production of proinflammatory chemokines/cytokines was decreased in mouse organotypic hippocampal slice cultures expressing human apoA-I. Therefore, we conclude that overexpression of human apoA-I in the circulation prevents learning and memory deficits in APP/PS1 mice, partly by attenuating neuroinflammation and cerebral amyloid angiopathy. These findings suggest that elevating plasma apoA-I/HDL levels may be an effective approach to preserve cognitive function in patients with AD.     

Gardenia jasminoides J.Ellis extract GJ-4 alleviated cognitive deficits of APP/PS1 transgenic mice

BackgroundAccumulating evidence demonstrates that traditional Chinese medicines that act on multiple targets could effectively treat various multi-etiological diseases, including cerebrovascular diseases, Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD) and so on. Previous studies have shown that crocin richments (GJ-4), Gardenia jasminoides J.Ellis extract, provide neuroprotective effects on cognitive impairments in AD mouse models. However, the mechanism how GJ-4 improves cognition remains still unclear.PurposeThe aim of this study was to uncover the protective effects and underlying mechanism of GJ-4 on PrP-hAβPPswe/PS1^ΔE9 (APP/PS1) transgenic mice.MethodsAPP/PS1 mice were given GJ-4 (10, 20, and 50 mg/kg), donepezil (5 mg/kg) and memantine (5 mg/kg) orally at eight months of age for 12 consecutive weeks. Morris water maze and novel object recognition were conducted to assess the cognitive ability of mice. The release of inflammatory cytokines was determined by RT-PCR assay, and the pathological features of neurons and microglia were assayed by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence assay. The expression of Aβ-related proteins and signaling pathways were determined by Western blot.ResultsThe behavioral results revealed that GJ-4 ameliorated the cognitive deficits of APP/PS1 mice measured by Morris water maze and novel object recognition tests. Mechanism studies indicated that GJ-4 significantly decreased β-amyloid (Aβ) level through reducing Aβ production and promoting Aβ degradation. It has been reported that Aβ plaques trigger the hyper-phosphorylation of tau protein in APP/PS1 mice. Consistent with previous studies, hyper-phosphorylation of tau was also occurred in APP/PS1 mice in the present study, and GJ-4 inhibited Tau phosphorylation at different sites. Overwhelming evidence indicates that neuroinflammation stimulated by Aβ and hyperphosphorylated tau is involved in the pathological progression of AD. We found that GJ-4 suppressed neuroinflammatory responses in the brain through regulating phosphatidylinositide 3-kinase/AKT (PI3K/AKT) signaling pathway activation, and subsequent expression of inflammatory proteins and release of inflammatory cytokines.ConclusionAltogether, GJ-4 ameliorated cognition of APP/PS1 transgenic mice through multiple targets, including Aβ, tau and neuroinflammation. This study provides a solid research basis for further development of GJ-4 as a potential candidate for the treatment of AD.     

Intranasal insulin alleviates cognitive deficits and amyloid pathology in young adult APPswe/PS1dE9 mice

Brain insulin signaling deficits contribute to multiple pathological features of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Although intranasal insulin has shown efficacy in patients with AD, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unillustrated. Here, we demonstrate that intranasal insulin improves cognitive deficits, ameliorates defective brain insulin signaling, and strongly reduces β‐amyloid (Aβ) production and plaque formation after 6 weeks of treatment in 4.5‐month‐old APPswe/PS1dE9 (APP/PS1) mice. Furthermore, c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase activation, which plays a pivotal role in insulin resistance and AD pathologies, is significantly inhibited. The alleviation of amyloid pathology by intranasal insulin results mainly from enhanced nonamyloidogenic processing and compromised amyloidogenic processing of amyloid precursor protein (APP), and from a reduction in apolipoprotein E protein which is involved in Aβ metabolism. In addition, intranasal insulin effectively promotes hippocampal neurogenesis in APP/PS1 mice. This study, exploring the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of intranasal insulin on Aβ pathologies in vivo for the first time, highlights important preclinical evidence that intranasal insulin is potentially an effective therapeutic method for the prevention and treatment of AD.     

Time-Dependent Increase of Chitinase1 in APP/PS1 Double Transgenic Mice

It is reported that chitinase1 increases in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the alteration of chitinase1 in the progress of AD is still unclear. Thus, we designed the present study to detect chitinase1 level in different stages of APP/PS1 double transgenic mice. Experimental models were APP/PS1 double transgenic mice with 4, 12 and 22 months. Cognitive function was detected by Morris water maze test in APP/PS1 mice as well as controls. ELISA and the quantitative RT-PCR were used to detect chitinase1 level in different groups. The study displayed that expression of chitinase1 gradually increased in a time-dependent manner in APP/PS1 mice, while there were no statistical differences among the wild-type mice in varies ages. Moreover, chitnase1 increased significantly in APP/PS1 mice aged 12 and 22 months compared with the age matched wild-type group, respectively. However, no difference of chitnase1 was found between 4 months-old APP/PS1 mice and wild-type mice. Comparing with the age matched wild type group, the consequences of mRNA on the increase in chitnase1 is in accordance with protein in APP/PS1 mice. Furthermore, Morris water maze showed that 4 months-old APP/PS1 mice have normal spatial learning and impaired spatial memory; both spatial learning and spatial memory in 12 and 22 months-old APP/PS1 mice were declined. Time-dependent increase of chitnase1 in APP/PS1 double transgenic mice indicates that the level of chitinase1 is associated with decline of cognition. Therefore, chitinase1 might be a biomarker of disease progression in AD.     

钩藤散改善APP/PS1双转基因小鼠学习记忆功能的代谢组学研究

目的:采用非靶向的高通量尿液代谢组学技术对钩藤散改善淀粉样前体蛋白/早老素蛋白1基因,即APP/PS1双转基因小鼠的作用机制进行研究。方法:5月龄APP/PSI小鼠采用Morris水迷宫实验检测双转基因小鼠的空间学习能力,在确定出现空间记忆能力功能损伤地条件下采用基于非靶向的尿液代谢组学技术研究APP/PSI小鼠的代谢网络,聚焦关键通路,同时观察钩藤散在水迷宫和代谢水平上的治疗作用。结果:Morris水迷宫对比发现APP/PSI小鼠的空间记忆能力明显长于同窝野生小鼠,给予钩藤散后呈现一定程度的回调趋势,经非靶向的代谢轮廓分析和核心代谢通路聚焦后,成功发现正常小鼠(同窝野生小鼠)和APP/PSI双转基因小鼠代谢轮廓间差异最大的信号,经质谱解析和权威数据库检索后鉴定6个与学习记忆相关的潜在生物标记物,分别是牛磺酸(taurine)、叶酸(pteroylglutamic acid)、新蝶呤(neopterin)、磺乙谷酰胺(glutaurine)、戊邻酮二酸盐(2-oxoglutarate)、二氢新蝶呤(dihydroneopterin),他们主要涉及牛磺酸代谢及叶酸代谢等,经钩藤散治疗后能有效回调。结论:钩藤散对APP/PSI双转基因小鼠的学习记忆能力具有一定治疗作用,本次发现的6个生物标记物可能是APP/PSI双转基因小鼠发病的潜在靶点,为钩藤散的相关药效学研究提供实验依据。