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Gender dependent APP processing in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease

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Summary.

Epidemiological studies have reported a higher prevalence and incidence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in women. The biochemical basis for this gender-disparate susceptibility is unknown. A gender effect on AD-typical plaque pathology has been shown in APP transgenic mouse models of AD. Female mice elicit higher plaque load than male mice. In an effort to analyze gender-dependent APP processing during postnatal development, we examined APP transgenic mice at time points prior to plaque deposition. At 14 weeks of age there was a significant elevation of C99 and Aβ in female mice compared to males. Furthermore we observed a slight decrease of BACE-activity in male mice as well as higher cerebral manganese levels in females. Although the decline in estrogen levels due to menopause in female patients is still discussed to be a risk factor for AD our results implicates that additional factors like modified BACE-activity or metal levels may contribute to the higher prevalence and incidence of AD in females.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Division of Neurobiology, Saarland University, Homburg/Saar, Germany

    S. Schäfer, O. Wirths & T. A. Bayer

  2. Institute for Biochemistry, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    G. Multhaup

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  1. S. Schäfer
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  2. O. Wirths
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  3. G. Multhaup
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  4. T. A. Bayer
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Schäfer, S., Wirths, O., Multhaup, G. et al. Gender dependent APP processing in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. J Neural Transm 114, 387–394 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-006-0580-9

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