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International audience; SCN1A (NaV1.1 sodium channel) mutations cause Dravet syndrome (DS) and GEFS+ (which is in general milder), and are risk factors in other epilepsies. Phenotypic variability limits precision medicine in epilepsy, and it is important to identify factors that set phenotype severity and their mechanisms. It is not yet clear whether SCN1A mutations are necessary for the development of severe phenotypes or just for promoting seizures. A relevant example is the pleiotropic R1648H mutation that can cause either mild GEFS+ or severe DS. We used a R1648H knock-in mouse model (Scn1aRH/+) with mild/asymptomatic phenotype to dissociate the effects of seizures and of the mutation per se. The induction of short repeated seizures, at the age of disease onset for Scn1a mouse models (P21), had no effect in WT mice, but transformed the mild/asymptomatic phenotype of Scn1aRH/+ mice into a severe DS-like phenotype, including frequent spontaneous seizures and cognitive/behavioral deficits. In these mice, we found no major modifications in cytoarchitecture or neuronal death, but increased excitability of hippocampal granule cells, consistent with a pathological remodeling. Therefore, we demonstrate for our model that an SCN1A mutation is a prerequisite for a long term deleterious effect of seizures on the brain, indicating a clear interaction between seizures and the mutation for the development of a severe phenotype generated by pathological remodeling. Applied to humans, this result suggests that genetic alterations, even if mild per se, may increase the risk of second hits to develop severe phenotypes.

The early phase of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by hippocampus-dependent memory deficits and impaired synaptic plasticity. Increasing evidence suggests that stress and dysregulation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, marked by the elevated circulating glucocorticoids, are risk factors for AD onset. How these changes contribute to early hippocampal dysfunction remains unclear. Using an elaborated version of the object recognition task, we carefully monitored alterations in key components of episodic memory, the first type of memory altered in AD patients, in early symptomatic Tg2576 AD mice. We also combined biochemical and ex vivo electrophysiological analyses to reveal novel cellular and molecular dysregulations underpinning the onset of the pathology. We show that HPA axis, circadian rhythm, and feedback mechanisms, as well as episodic memory, are compromised in this early symptomatic phase, reminiscent of human AD pathology. The cognitive decline could be rescued by subchronic in vivo treatment with RU486, a glucocorticoid receptor antagonist. These observed phenotypes were paralleled by a specific enhancement of N-Methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor (NMDAR)-dependent LTD in CA1 pyramidal neurons, whereas LTP and metabotropic glutamate receptor-dependent LTD remain unchanged. NMDAR transmission was also enhanced. Finally, we show that, as for the behavioral deficit, RU486 treatment rescues this abnormal synaptic phenotype. These preclinical results define glucocorticoid signaling as a contributing factor to both episodic memory loss and early synaptic failure in this AD mouse model, and suggest that glucocorticoid receptor targeting strategies could be beneficial to delay AD onset.

Summary: There is a growing consensus that Alzheimer's disease (AD) involves failure of the homeostatic machinery, which underlies the firing stability of neural circuits. What are the culprits leading to neuron firing instability? The amyloid precursor protein (APP) is central to AD pathogenesis, and we recently showed that its intracellular domain (AICD) could modify synaptic signal integration. We now hypothesize that AICD modifies neuron firing activity, thus contributing to the disruption of memory processes. Using cellular, electrophysiological, and behavioral techniques, we show that pathological AICD levels weaken CA1 neuron firing activity through a gene-transcription-dependent mechanism. Furthermore, increased AICD production in hippocampal neurons modifies oscillatory activity, specifically in the γ-frequency range, and disrupts spatial memory task. Collectively, our data suggest that AICD pathological levels, observed in AD mouse models and in human patients, might contribute to progressive neuron homeostatic failure, driving the shift from normal aging to AD. : Pousinha et al. report that increased AICD levels, a peptide representing amyloid precursor protein (APP) C-terminal domain, render CA1 pyramidal neurons hypoexcitable by altering Ca+ and K+ channel conductances. Modeling this alteration predicts decreased gamma oscillations. They show that increasing AICD levels in vivo weakens gamma-oscillation-dependent spatial memory. Keywords: AICD, APP, Alzheimer’s disease, neuron firing, brain oscillations, memory encoding

Mestrado em Bioquímica - Bioquímica Clínica Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a brain neurodegenerative disease leading to progressive loss of memory and intellectual abilities. It is characterized by the appearance of amyloid-β oligomers (Aβ), which then aggregate into plaques, progressive appearance of neurofibrillary tangles composed of hyperphosphorylated tau, synaptic impairment and neuronal death. The hippocampus, a key structure responsible for memory encoding, is the first brain region affected in AD leading to early episodic memory loss. Aβ accumulation seems to have an important role in triggering chronic stress in AD, compromising the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function and the structures involved in its regulation, notably the hippocampus. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the HPA axis function and episodic-like memory in a model of AD, the Tg2576 mice, in the early phase of the pathology, which was defined in these mice at about 4 months of age. To study the HPA axis function, corticosterone, the main stress hormone, was quantified by ELISA at the onset of light phase, at the onset of dark phase and after inducing the negative feedback with a dexamethasone supression test. Hippocampal glucorticoid receptors (GRs) were also quantified by Western blot. Tg2576 mice showed impairment in HPA axis, characterized by an increase in corticosterone at the onset of active phase and an absence in the negative feedback response induced by dexamethasone. Also, hippocampal GRs are increased and seems to fail in the downregulation of the stress response mediated by the HPA axis. To evaluate episodic-like memory, an object recognition task was conducted, which combines the ability to remember the ‘what, when and where’ components of an event. A deficit in the ‘where’ component of this type of memory was observed in Tg2576 mice. An in vivo treatment with the GR antagonist RU486 was then applied to evaluate if blocking GR function could reverse this deficit. Our first results suggest that blocking GR function can prevent this memory deficit in Tg2576 mice. These data demonstrate that corticostesterone levels, and thus stress signaling, are increased in the early phase of AD in these mice, due to dysfunction of the HPA axis. Furthermore, this altered signaling, via GRs, probably contributes to the early episodic memory deficits observed in these mice. These data strongly support our hypothesis that elevated stress is an environmental factor contributing to the onset of AD neuropathology. A Doença de Alzheimer (DA) é uma doença neurodegenerativa do tecido cerebral que leva à perda da memória e das propriedades intelectuais. É caracterizada pelo aparecimento de oligómeros de amilóide-β (Aβ) que depois se agregam em placas, aparecimento progressivo de agregados neurofibrilares constituídos por proteína tau hiperfosforilada, alterações sinápticas e morte neuronal. O hipocampo, uma estrutura chave responsável pela codificação da memória, é a primeira região cerebral afectada na DA levando numa fase precoce, à perda da memória episódica. A acumulação de Aβ parece ter uma função importante no desencadeamento de stress crónico na DA levando ao comprometimento da função do eixo HPA e das várias estruturas envolvidas na sua regulação, nomeadamente o hipocampo. Neste estudo pretendeu-se estudar a função do eixo HPA e avaliar a memória episódica usando um modelo transgénico da DA, o ratinho Tg2576, numa fase precoce da doença de Alzheimer, definida neste modelo por volta dos 4 meses. Os estudos relativos à função do eixo HPA foram feitos através da quantificação de corticosterona, a hormona principal no stress, por teste ELISA na fase de repouso, na fase activa e após teste de supressão pela dexametasona. Quantificaram-se ainda os receptores aos glucocorticoides (RGs) no hipocampo por western blot. Os ratinhos Tg2576 mostraram um comprometimento do eixo HPA, caracterizada pelo aumento de corticosterona no ínicio da fase activa e ausência de regulação negativa induzida pela dexametasona. Ainda, os RGs estão aumentados e mostram comprometimento na regulação negativa induzida no eixo HPA. Para avaliar a memória episódica foi efectuado um teste de reconhecimento de objectos que combina a capacidade de recordar o ‘quê, quando e onde’ de um evento. Os ratinhos Tg2576 apresentaram um deficit na componente ‘onde’ deste tipo de memória. Foi em seguida aplicado um tratamento in vivo com um antagonista dos RGs (RU486) para avaliar se bloqueando a função dos RGs se poderia reverter o deficit observado. Os nossos primeiros resultados revelam que o bloqueia dos RGs pode prevenir o deficit na memória episódica. Assim este trabalho mostrou que os ratinhos Tg2576 apresentam uma perturbação ao nível do eixo HPA e da sua regulação pelos RG do hipocampo, traduzidos por um nível de stress aumentado, e perturbação ao nível da memória episódica. Este trabalho mostra que o nível de stress está aumentado numa fase muito precoce da DA neste ratinho devido à disfunção do eixo HPA. Para além disso, a alteração nesta sinalização mediada pelos RGs, contribui provavelmente para os deficits precoces na memória episódica observados neste ratinho. Estes resultados suportam a nossa hipótese de que o stress é um factor de risco muito importante no desenvolvimento precoce da neuropatologia na doença de Alzheimer.

Mestrado em Bioquímica - Bioquímica Clínica Submitted by Daisy Tavares (daisytavares@ua.pt) on 2014-07-10T11:46:56Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese.pdf: 2047608 bytes, checksum: 1b957d749904a17a8625a12cf1001f89 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2014-07-10T11:46:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese.pdf: 2047608 bytes, checksum: 1b957d749904a17a8625a12cf1001f89 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-06

Background The etiology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is unclear and no cure is yet available. The function of the hippocampus, a key structure responsible for memory encoding and consolidation, is affected early in AD leading to progressive irreversible memory loss. There is strong evidence that AD onset is, at least partly, due to accumulation within the hippocampus of peptides processed from the amyloid precursor protein APP, such as amyloid-beta (A?). Also, several studies demonstrated an abnormal elevation in the main stress hormone, cortisol (CORT in mice), in the initial phase of AD in patients and in mouse models. Here, we investigated if early co-accumulation of CORT and APP-derived peptides could be a main trigger driving the onset of memory deficits in AD.