Microglia depletion diminishes key elements of the leukotriene pathway in the brain of Alzheimer’s disease mice


BIBLIOGRAPHIC THERAPEUTIC AGENT ANIMAL MODEL EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN OUTCOMES

Bibliographic

Year of Publication:
2020
Contact PI Name:
Ludwig Aigner
Contact PI Affiliation:
Institute of Molecular Regenerative Medicine, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
Co-Authors:
J. Michael, M.S. Unger, R. Poupardin, P. Schernthaner, H. Mrowetz, J. Attems
Primary Reference (PubMED ID):
Funding Source:
FWF Special Research Program
IntelGenx Corp.
Study Goal and Principal Findings:

Leukotrienes (LTs) contribute to the neuropathology of chronic neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), where they mediate neuroinflammation and neuronal cell-death. In consequence, blocking the action of Leukotrienes (LTs) ameliorates pathologies and improves cognitive function in animal models of neurodegeneration. Surprisingly, the source of Leukotrienes (LTs) in the brain is largely unknown. Here, we identified the Leukotriene (LT) synthesis rate-limiting enzyme 5-Lipoxygenase (5-Lox) primarily in neurons and to a lesser extent in a subpopulation of microglia in human Alzheimer´s Disease (AD) hippocampus brain sections and in brains of APP Swedish PS1 dE9 (APPPS1) mice, a transgenic model for Alzheimer´s Disease (AD) pathology. The 5-Lipoxygenase (5-Lox) activating protein (FLAP), which anchors 5-Lipoxygenase (5-Lox) to the membrane and mediates the contact to the substrate arachidonic acid, was confined exclusively to microglia with the entire microglia population expressing 5-Lipoxygenase activating protein (FLAP). To define the contribution of microglia in the Leukotriene (LT) biosynthesis pathway, we ablated microglia using the colony stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) inhibitor PLX5622 in wildtype (WT) and APP-PS1 mice. Microglia ablation not only diminished the expression of FLAP and of the Leukotriene (LT) receptor Cysteinylleukotriene receptor 1 (CysLTR1), as expected based on their microglia cell type-specific expression, but also drastically reduced 5-Lipoxygenase (5-Lox) mRNA expression in the brain and its protein expression in neurons, in particular in wildtype (WT) mice. In conclusion i) microglia are key in Leukotriene (LT) biosynthesis, and ii) they regulate neuronal 5-Lipoxygenase (5-Lox) expression implying a yet unknown signaling mechanism between neurons and microglia.

Therapeutic Agent

Therapeutic Information:
Therapy Type:
Small Molecule
Therapeutic Agent:
PLX5622
Therapeutic Target:
Colony Stimulating Factor 1 Receptor (CSF1R)
Therapeutic Target:
Receptor Tyrosine Kinase c-Kit
Therapeutic Notes:
Colony Stimulating Factor 1 Receptor (CSF1R) has been nominated as a potential target for AD. Nominated targets are obtained from several sources, including the National Institute on Aging's Accelerating Medicines Partnership in Alzheimer's Disease (AMP-AD) consortium. Targets have been identified using computational analyses of high-dimensional genomic, proteomic and/or metabolomic data derived from human samples. See Agora link for more information.

Animal Model

Model Information:
Species:
Mouse
Model Type:
APPxPS1
Strain/Genetic Background:
C57BL/6

Experimental Design

Is the following information reported in the study?:
Power/Sample Size Calculation
Randomized into Groups
Blinded for Treatment
Blinded for Outcome Measures
Pharmacokinetic Measures
Pharmacodynamic Measures
Toxicology Measures
ADME Measures
Biomarkers
Dose
Formulation
Route of Delivery
Duration of Treatment
Frequency of Administration
Age of Animal at the Beginning of Treatment
Age of Animal at the End of Treatment
Sex as a Biological Variable
Study Balanced for Sex as a Biological Variable
Number of Premature Deaths
Number of Excluded Animals
Statistical Plan
Genetic Background
Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria Included
Conflict of Interest

Outcomes

Outcome Measured
Outcome Parameters
Histopathology
beta Amyloid Deposits
Colocalization-Astrocytes/Microglia/Amyloid Plaques
Biochemical
5-Lipoxygenase (5LO) mRNA
5-Lipoxygenase Activating Protein (FLAP) mRNA
Cysteinyl Leukotriene 1 Receptor (CysLT1R) mRNA
Cysteinyl Leukotriene 2 Receptor (CysLT2R) mRNA
Leukotriene C4 Synthase (LTC4S) mRNA
Uracil Cysteinyl Leukotriene Receptor/G Protein-Coupled Receptor 17 (GPR17) mRNA
Immunochemistry
5-Lipoxygenase (5LO)
5-Lipoxygenase Activating Protein (FLAP)
Brain-beta Amyloid Deposits
Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP)
Ionized Calcium Binding Adaptor Molecule 1 (Iba1)
Neuronal Marker NeuN
Transmembrane Protein 119 (TMEM119)
Microscopy
Cell Count
Cell Morphology
Omics
Gene Expression Profile
Whole Transcriptome Analysis

Source URL: http://alzped.nia.nih.gov/microglia-depletion-diminishes