Animal models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Huntington’s disease

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Huntington’s disease (HD) are debilitating neurodegenerative conditions for which there is no effective cure. Genetic determinants of both diseases have been identified, providing insight into neuropathological mechanisms and opportunities for therapeutic intervention. Aggregation of mutant proteins is the most prominent phenotype of these neurodegenerative diseases as is the case in Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Here we review transgenic animal models of ALS and HD in mouse, zebrafish, C. elegans, and Drosophila that have been developed to study different aspects of disease progression. We also cover some large mammal transgenic models that have been recently developed. To effectively tackle these conditions will likely require effective use of several of these animal models, as each offers distinct advantages and insights into disease pathology.     

Animal models of human amyloidoses: Are transgenic mice worth the time and trouble?

The amyloidoses are the prototype gain of toxic function protein misfolding diseases. As such, several naturally occurring animal models and their inducible variants provided some of the first insights into these disorders of protein aggregation. With greater analytic knowledge and the increasing flexibility of transgenic and gene knockout technology, new models have been generated allowing the interrogation of phenomena that have not been approachable in more reductionist systems, i.e. behavioral readouts in the neurodegenerative diseases, interactions among organ systems in the transthyretin amyloidoses and taking pre-clinical therapeutic trials beyond cell culture. The current review describes the features of both transgenic and non-transgenic models and discusses issues that appear to be unresolved even when viewed in their organismal context.     

CRAC channels and disease – From human CRAC channelopathies and animal models to novel drugs

Ca²⁺ release-activated Ca²⁺ (CRAC) channels are intimately linked with health and disease. The gene encoding the CRAC channel, ORAI1, was discovered in part by genetic analysis of patients with abolished CRAC channel function. And patients with autosomal recessive loss-of-function (LOF) mutations in ORAI1 and its activator stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1) that abolish CRAC channel function and store-operated Ca²⁺ entry (SOCE) define essential functions of CRAC channels in health and disease. Conversely, gain-of-function (GOF) mutations in ORAI1 and STIM1 are associated with tubular aggregate myopathy (TAM) and Stormorken syndrome due to constitutive CRAC channel activation. In addition, genetically engineered animal models of ORAI and STIM function have provided important insights into the physiological and pathophysiological roles of CRAC channels in cell types and organs beyond those affected in human patients. The picture emerging from this body of work shows CRAC channels as important regulators of cell function in many tissues, and as potential drug targets for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory disorders.     

The Human–Animal Interaction Scale: Development and Evaluation

The purpose of this study was to develop the Human–Animal Interaction Scale (HAIS) and evaluate its reliability and validity. The HAIS is a 24-item self-report instrument designed to describe and quantify behaviors performed by humans and nonhuman animals during an episode of interaction (e.g., engaging with a pet, participating in an animal-assisted intervention). Participants were 295 adult volunteers who completed the HAIS in one of several different contexts, including both laboratory and applied settings. The scale was tested across several different species, including companion animals (i.e., dogs and cats), small caged animals (i.e., rats, rabbit, hedgehog), and horses. Analyses indicate good reliability, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.82 overall and alphas of 0.72 and higher across the different species and settings. Test-retest analyses indicate ratings remain consistent up to one week following an interaction. Evidence of construct validity was gathered by comparing HAIS ratings with other well-established measures of related constructs, as well as comparing participant reports with researcher observations. Potential uses in basic and applied research are discussed.     

Animal models of human genetic diseases: do they need to be faithful to be useful?

With the advances in molecular genetics, animal models of human diseases are becoming more numerous and more refined every year. Despite this, one must recognize that they generally do not faithfully and comprehensively mimic the homologous human disease. Faced with these imperfections, some geneticists believe that these models are of little value, while for others, on the contrary, they are important tools. We agree with this second statement, and in this review, we examine the reasons that may explain the observed differences and suggest means to circumvent or even exploit them. Our opinion is that animal models should be regarded more as tools capable of answering specific questions rather than mere replicas, at a smaller scale, of a given human disease. Far from disappointing they are probably called for a promising future.     

Huntington’s disease and mitochondrial alterations: emphasis on experimental models

Huntington’s disease (HD) is an inheritable neurological disorder coursing with degeneration of basal ganglia and producing chorea and dementia. One common factor accounting for neurodegeneration in this disorder is mitochondrial deterioration at both morphologic and functional levels. The development of experimental models in animals or cell preparations to resemble pathologic and pathogenic conditions of this disorder has served for more than four decades to describe part of the mechanistic alterations that could be occurring in mitochondria of HD patients, and the subsequent design of therapeutic alternatives where mitochondrial alterations are the primary target. In this miniriview we describe some of the most relevant studies at the experimental level, giving support to the hypothesis that mitochondria play a central role in HD pathogenesis.     

C2 and C2C12 murine skeletal myoblast models of atrophic and hypertrophic potential: Relevance to disease and ageing?

Reduced muscle mass and increased susceptibility to TNF‐induced degradation accompany inflamed ageing and chronic diseases. Furthermore, C₂ myoblasts display diminished differentiation and increased susceptibility to TNF‐α‐induced cell death versus subcloned C₂C₁₂ cells, providing relevant models to assess: differentiation (creatine kinase), growth (protein), death (trypan‐blue) and anabolic/catabolic parameters (RT‐PCR) over 72 h ± TNF‐α (20 ng ml^?1). At 48 and 72 h, respectively, larger myotubes and significantly higher CK activity (320.26 ± 6.82 vs. 30.71 ± 2.5, P < 0.05; 544.94 ± 27.7 vs. 39.4 ± 3.37 mU mg ml^?1, P < 0.05), fold increases in myoD (21.45 ± 3.12 vs. 3.97 ± 1.76, P < 0.05; 31.07 ± 3.1 vs. 6.82 ± 1.93, P < 0.05) and myogenin mRNA (241.8 ± 40 vs. 36.80 ± 19.3, P < 0.05; 440 ± 100.5 vs. 201.1 ± 86, P < 0.05) were detected in C₂C₁₂ versus C₂. C₂C₁₂ showed significant increases in IGF‐I mRNA (243.05 ± 3.87 vs. 105.75 ± 21.95, P < 0.05), reduced proliferation and significantly lower protein expression (1.21 ± 0.28 vs. 1.79 ± 0.29 mg ml^?1, P < 0.05) at 72 h versus C₂ cells. Significant temporal reductions in C₂C₁₂ IGFBP2 mRNA (28.02 ± 15.44, 13.82 ± 8.07, 6.92 ± 4.37, P < 0.05) contrasted increases in C₂s (4.31 ± 3.31, 13.02 ± 9.92, 82.9 ± 58.9, P < 0.05) at 0, 48 and 72 h, respectively. TNF‐α increased cell death in C₂s (2.67 ± 1.54%, 34.42 ± 5.39%, 29.71 ± 5.79% (0, 48, 72 h), P < 0.05), yet was without effect in C₂C₁₂s at 48 h but caused a small significant increase at 72 h (9.88 ± 4.02% (TNF‐α) vs. 6.17 ± 0.749% (DM), 72 h). TNF‐α and TNFRI mRNA were unchanged; however, larger reductions in IGF‐I (8.2‐ and 7.5‐fold vs. 4.5‐ and 4.1‐fold (48, 72 h)), IGF‐IR (2‐fold vs. no‐significant reduction (72 h)) and IGFBP5 (3.24 vs. 1.38 (48 h) and 2.21 vs. 1.71 (72 h), P < 0.05) mRNA were observed in C₂ versus C₂C₁₂ with TNF‐α. This investigation provides insight into regulators of altered basal hypertrophy and TNF‐induced atrophy, providing a model for future investigation into therapeutic initiatives for ageing/wasting disorders. J. Cell. Physiol. 225: 240–250, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Finally,a sense of closure? Animal models of human ventral body wall defects

Malformations concerning the ventral body wall constitute one of the leading categories of human birth defects and are present in about one out of every 2000 live births. Although the occurrence of these defects is relatively common, few detailed experimental studies exist on the development and closure of the ventral body wall in mouse and human. This field is further complicated by the array of theories on the pathogenesis of body wall defects and the likelihood that there is no single cause for these abnormalities. In this review, we summarize what is known concerning the mechanisms of normal ventral body wall closure in humans and mice. We then outline the theories that have been proposed concerning human body wall closure abnormalities and examine the growing number of mouse mutations that impact normal ventral body wall closure. Finally, we speculate how studies in animal models such as mouse and Drosophila are beginning to provide a much-needed mechanistic framework with which to identify and characterize the genes and tissues required for this vital aspect of human embryogenesis.     

Tackling neurodegenerative diseases: animal models of Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease

Our ageing society is confronted with a dramatic increase in incidence of age-related neurodegenerative diseases; biomedical research leading to novel therapeutic strategies is crucial to address this problem. Animal models of neurodegenerative conditions are invaluable in improving our understanding of the molecular basis of pathology, potentially revealing novel targets for intervention. Here, we review transgenic animal models of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease reported in mice, zebrafish, Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster. This information will enable researchers to compare different animal models targeting disease-associated molecules by genomic engineering and to facilitate the development of novel animal models for any particular study, depending on the ultimate research goals.     

“Ryanopathies” and RyR2 dysfunctions: can we further decipher them using in vitro human disease models?

The regulation of intracellular calcium (Ca²⁺) homeostasis is fundamental to maintain normal functions in many cell types. The ryanodine receptor (RyR), the largest intracellular calcium release channel located on the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum (SR/ER), plays a key role in the intracellular Ca²⁺ handling. Abnormal type 2 ryanodine receptor (RyR2) function, associated to mutations (ryanopathies) or pathological remodeling, has been reported, not only in cardiac diseases, but also in neuronal and pancreatic disorders. While animal models and in vitro studies provided valuable contributions to our knowledge on RyR2 dysfunctions, the human cell models derived from patients’ cells offer new hope for improving our understanding of human clinical diseases and enrich the development of great medical advances. We here discuss the current knowledge on RyR2 dysfunctions associated with mutations and post-translational remodeling. We then reviewed the novel human cellular technologies allowing the correlation of patient’s genome with their cellular environment and providing approaches for personalized RyR-targeted therapeutics.Subject terms: Ventricular tachycardia, Ventricular tachycardia     

Sex and gonadal hormones in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease: what is relevant to the human condition?

Biologic sex and gonadal hormones matter in human aging and diseases of aging such as Alzheimer’s – and the importance of studying their influences relates directly to human health. The goal of this article is to review the literature to date on sex and hormones in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) with an exclusive focus on interpreting the relevance of findings to the human condition. To this end, we highlight advances in AD and in sex and hormone biology, discuss what these advances mean for merging the two fields, review the current mouse model literature, raise major unresolved questions, and offer a research framework that incorporates human reproductive aging for future studies aimed at translational discoveries in this important area. Unraveling human relevant pathways in sex and hormone-based biology may ultimately pave the way to novel and urgently needed treatments for AD and other neurodegenerative diseases.     

Animal models of PD: pieces of the same puzzle?

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder with no known cure. The etiology of PD is likely due, in part, to combinations of genetic susceptibilities and environmental factors. In rare familial cases, PD is due to genetic mutations. A number of new genetic and toxin models of PD and advances in older models are yielding important new information about the pathogenesis of PD. This has prompted us to critically review the current animal models for PD and discuss how these models may yield fresh insights into the pathogenesis of PD, as well as new therapeutic opportunities.