Aβ-mediated spine changes in the hippocampus are microtubule-dependent and can be reversed by a subnanomolar concentration of the microtubule-stabilizing agent epothilone D.

ABSTRACT: Dendritic spines represent the major postsynaptic input of excitatory synapses. Loss of spines and changes in their morphology correlate with cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and are thought to occur early during pathology. Therapeutic intervention at a preclinical stage of AD to modify spine changes might thus be warranted. To follow the development and to potentially interfere with spine changes over time, we established a long term ex vivo model from organotypic cultures of the hippocampus from APP transgenic and control mice. The cultures exhibit spine loss in principal hippocampal neurons, which closely resembles the changes occurring in vivo, and spine morphology progressively changes from mushroom-shaped to stubby. We demonstrate that spine changes are completely rev

SUBMITTER: Penazzi L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4873443 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature