Longitudinal Monitoring of Sex-Related in vivo Metabolic Changes in the Brain of Alzheimer's Disease Transgenic Mouse Using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Article type: Research Article

Authors: van Duijn, Sara^{a; *} | Nabuurs, Rob J.A.^b | van Duinen, Sjoerd G.^a | Natté, Remco^a | van Buchem, Mark A.^b | Alia, A.^{b; c}

Affiliations: [a] Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands | [b] Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands | [c] SSNMR, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Gorlaeus Laboratoria, Leiden, The Netherlands

Correspondence: [*] Correspondence to: Sara van Duijn, Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, Leiden, The Netherlands. Tel.: +31 71 5266594; Fax: +31 71 5266952; E-mail: vanduijnsara@gmail.com.

Abstract: Epidemiological studies indicate that the incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is higher in women than in men. There is evidence that changes in metabolites in the brain associated with the development of AD are present earlier than structural brain changes. The effect of sex on the metabolic profile during the development of AD has not yet been studied. In this study we longitudinally monitored and compared in vivo metabolic changes in male and female AβPPswe, PSEN1dE9 transgenic mice brains using magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Our results show a lower level of glutamate as well as of N-acetylaspartate (NAA) in transgenic mice. The decline in NAA with age was more apparent in female mice. The level of taurine was higher in female mice and showed a faster decline over time. In conclusion, our study is the first to suggest that changes in the metabolic profile during AD development are influenced by sex.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease, AβPP/PS1 transgenic mouse model, longitudinal studies, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, sex differences

DOI: 10.3233/JAD-122188

Journal: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, vol. 34, no. 4, pp. 1051-1059, 2013