Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 25, 2025
14:57
Preparation of Acute Hippocampal Slices from Rats and Transgenic Mice for the Study of Synaptic Alterations during Aging and Amyloid Pathology
Published on: March 23, 2011
94.2K
Component-specific reduction in perineuronal nets in senescence-accelerated mouse strains.
Hiroshi Ueno1, Yu Takahashi2, Shinji Murakami2
1Department of Medical Technology, Kawasaki University of Medical Welfare, Okayama 701-0193, Japan.
IBRO Neuroscience Reports
|June 30, 2023
Summary
Senescence-accelerated mouse strains (SAMP8 and SAMP10) show altered parvalbumin-positive neurons and perineuronal nets in the prefrontal cortex, contributing to cognitive decline. These findings aid understanding of age-related learning impairments.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Aging Research
- Animal Models
Background:
- Increased life expectancy raises concerns about age-related diseases and cognitive decline.
- Senescence-accelerated mouse (SAM) models, particularly SAMP8 and SAMP10 strains, exhibit learning disabilities.
- The prefrontal cortex is crucial for cognitive functions, making it a key area for studying age-related changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate changes in parvalbumin-positive (PV-positive) interneurons and perineuronal nets (PNNs) in the prefrontal cortex of SAMP8 and SAMP10 mice.
- To elucidate the mechanisms underlying behavioral abnormalities and cognitive deficits in these aging mouse models.
- To compare neuropathological findings in SAMP8 and SAMP10 mice with the control SAMR1 strain.
Main Methods:
- Histological analysis of PV-positive neurons and PNNs in the prefrontal cortex of SAMP8, SAMP10, and SAMR1 mice.
- Quantification of the density of specific PNN components (Cat-315, AB1031, tenascin-R, brevican) and PV-positive neurons.
- Comparative analysis of cellular and extracellular matrix changes between aging and control mouse strains.
Main Results:
- A decrease in the density of AB1031-, tenascin-R-, and brevican-positive PNNs was observed in the prefrontal cortex of both SAMP8 and SAMP10 mice compared to SAMR1 mice.
- The density of PV-positive neurons was significantly lower in SAMP8 mice than in SAMR1 mice.
- Cat-315-positive PNN expression was not detected in the prefrontal cortex of SAMP10 mice.
Conclusions:
- SAMP8 and SAMP10 mice exhibit distinct alterations in PV-positive neurons and PNNs within the prefrontal cortex compared to SAMR1 mice.
- These neuropathological changes correlate with observed behavioral and cognitive deficits, suggesting a role in age-related cognitive decline.
- The study provides valuable insights into the mechanisms of age-related cognitive and learning impairments using the SAM model.
