Title:Serum β-Amyloid Peptide Levels Spike in the Early Stage of Alzheimer- Like Plaque Pathology in an APP/PS1 Double Transgenic Mouse Model
VOLUME: 10 ISSUE: 9
Author(s):Jue He, Jin-Ping Qiao, Shenghua Zhu, Mengzhou Xue, Wenwu Chen, Xinchun Wang, Adrien Tempier, Qingjun Huang, Jiming Kong and Xin-Min Li
Affiliation:First Affiliated Hospital, Henan University, 357 Ximen Street, Kaifeng, Henan 475001, PR China.
Keywords:APP/PS1 double transgenic mouse model, serum, -amyloid, Alzheimer’s disease, plaque, memory.
Abstract:Serum levels of β-amyloid (A) peptides may represent an early biomarker in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease
(AD). In the present study, we investigated the temporal kinetic changes in the levels of serum Aβ 1-42 and 40 in an
amyloid precursor protein (APP)/presenilin (PS)1 double transgenic mouse model of AD. Serum Aβ peptide levels in 2-,
3-, 6-, 9- and 18-month old, and liver Aβ 1-40 level in 6-month old mice were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent
assay (ELISA) kits. Results revealed that serum Aβ levels peaked in 3-month old transgenic mice, and the Aβ level in non-transgenic and transgenic mice is comparable in liver. Compared to the 6-month old transgenic mice, Congo
red staining showed that the 3-month old transgenic mice had minimum brain Aβ plaques, corresponding to the early
stage of Alzheimer-like plaque pathology, and confocal microscope images showed that the deposition of Aβ in their
cerebral vessels was minimal. Furthermore, results of the water maze test, showed that memory was normal for the 3-
month old transgenic mice when compared to age-matched non-transgenic mice. These results suggest that serum Aβ peptide
levels may be peaked during the early stage of AD. Monitoring serum Aβ peptide levels in the potential AD population
may provide an early diagnosis of AD prior to the appearance of clinical symptoms.
