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dissertation (2)


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2017 (2)

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Dissertation
Assessment of cognitive performance and social behaviour in the biAT/TPLH mouse model for Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: --- --- ---
Year: 2017 Publisher: Leuven KU Leuven. Faculteit Psychologie en Pedagogische Wetenschappen

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Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease identified by two major neuropathological hallmarks namely extracellular plaques containing Aβ protein and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT’s) made up of hyperphosporylated tau protein. AD neuropsychological symptoms include a gradual onset and progressive decline of cognitive functions such as episodic memory, language and attention. Additionally, non-cognitive changes such as behavioural and psychological symptoms are prominent in patients with AD. For the examination and understanding of the neuropathological mechanisms and neuropsychological symptoms of AD, mouse models and animal behavioural read-outs respectively, have proved to be essential. In this research we aim to establish a better understanding of AD pathogenesis and its related cognitive and non-cognitive symptoms through the use of behavioural read-outs involving mouse models. We made use of two mouse models with the C57BL/6J background: 1) the biAT mouse model (Tau.P301L x APP.V717I) expressing both major hallmarks of human AD and 2) the TLPH mouse model (Tau.P301L) expressing tau pathology only. The biAT and TLPH mouse models were tested at 5 to 6 months of age over a period of 2 months. They were exposed to a large test battery including a variety of behavioural experiments. Spatial memory performance was studied in the mouse models using the Morris water maze as the most established paradigm for the investigation of hippocampus-dependent learning. In addition, paradigms such as contextual and cued fear conditioning and sociability/preference for social novelty were included for the investigation of cognitive-related symptoms. Other behavioural tests including the elevated plus maze, open field, marble burying, tail suspension and 24h assessment were used for the investigation of non-cognitive symptoms. As opposed to WT mice, we expected transgenic mouse models to display neuropathological related cognitive and non-cognitive symptoms of AD. Contrary to our expectations, the results did not demonstrate major, consistent cognitive, social nor neuropsychological AD-like symptoms in the biAT or TLPH mouse models compared to WT controls. Besides several environmental and genetic factors that could have contributed to this, another possibility is that the AD-related neuropathology has a later onset in these C57BL/6J-backcrossed mouse models. Moreover, although C57BL/6 mice were described to perform well in these tasks and previously have been successfully used in our lab with the same equipment, the WT controls in this research overall seemed to display abnormal behaviour. For future experiments, mice at a more advanced age could be tested and the breeding schemes may need to be redesigned so that littermate wildtype control mice are available.

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Dissertation
The behavioral effects of green tea polyphenol extract in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease
Authors: --- --- ---
Year: 2017 Publisher: Leuven KU Leuven. Faculteit Psychologie en Pedagogische Wetenschappen

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Abstract

During the past years lots of research has been done on Alzheimer’s disease, but so far without any success in producing a preventative or even therapeutic treatment. Since we are facing an Alzheimer epidemic in the near future, a highly accessible and affordable preventative strategy is still eagerly awaited. Natural compounds have become of great importance and in particular green tea polyphenols have gained lots of attention. These polyphenols are believed to have neuroprotective effects due to different mechanisms like antioxidant and iron chelating abilities. The aim of our study was to investigate if we could objectify a preventative efficacy of green tea supplementation in a mouse model of AD. For this research we used 28 mice that were either wild type or transgenic mice of the APPPS1-21 strain, which is a well-established mouse model in the field of AD research. Mice were randomly assigned to a green tea supplementation or mock treatment shortly before amyloid deposition was supposed to occur in the hippocampal dentate gyrus of transgenic mice. At this moment the transgenic mice are still in a pre-symptomatic stage without observable behavioral symptoms. After 21 weeks of green tea administration, mice reached the age where they should start showing behavioral signs of underlying cognitive deficits. From then on, all mice were subjected to a battery of behavioral tests to examine whether or not significant effects of treatment were found. During the behavioral tests, the treatment was continued. We hypothesized that transgenic mice receiving green tea supplemented water would show improvement of cognitive and/or other impairments. Unfortunately no such clear effects were found. On some tests there was an effect of genotype, confirming that the mice showed cognitive deficits. For example they showed a slower learning curve on the MWM than wild type mice. Effects regarding the green tea administration were rather rare, but we cannot be certain that the green tea supplementation had no effect due to the good performance of transgenic mice receiving mock treatment on some tests. Based on the tests where transgenic mice did show a clear deficit but no treatment effects were found, we have to conclude that we failed to objectify a preventative efficacy of green tea supplementation in a mouse model of AD, but further research on this topic is recommended.

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