Evaluation of memory, learning ability, and clinical neurologic function in pathogen-free mice with systemic lupus erythematosus.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if neurologic impairment is related to progressive autoimmune disease in 3 murine models of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE): MRL/lpr, NZB, and NZB/WF1.


METHODS
Sensorimotor function, learning, and memory were tested within strains at specific ages, before and after the appearance of SLE. These parameters were also compared between strains for young and older lupus mice and their congenic controls with reduced autoimmune disease (MRL/lpr versus MRL/+; NZB versus NZB/xid).


RESULTS
Abnormal neurologic features were present at a much higher frequency in MRL/lpr mice than in age-matched MRL/+ control mice, and sensorimotor function deficits were also seen in NZB/WF1 mice. Strains that develop lupus showed deficits on a water-escape, distal cue discrimination task and on a food-rewarded, proximal cue discrimination task, but the cognitive impairments were not global.


CONCLUSIONS
MRL/lpr, NZB, and NZB/WF1 mice differed in terms of which behaviors were impaired as well as when those impairments appeared.
Vogelweid
C M
CM
Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis.
Wright
D C
DC
Johnson
J C
JC
Hewett
J E
JE
Walker
S E
SE
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008814:Mice, Inbred NZB; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013045:Species Specificity; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms