title: Characterization of in vivo MRI detectable thalamic amyloid plaques from APP/PS1 mice.
abstract: Amyloid deposits are one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. Recent studies, in transgenic mice modeling Alzheimer's disease showed that, using in vivo, contrast agent-free, MRI, thalamic amyloid plaques are more easily detected than other plaques of the brain. Our study evaluated the characteristics of these thalamic plaques in a large population of APP/PS1, PS1 and C57BL/6 mice. Thalamic spots were detected in all mice but with different frequency and magnitude. Hence, the prevalence and size of the lesions were higher in APP/PS1 mice. However, even in APP/PS1 mice, thalamic spots did not occur in all the old animals. In APP/PS1 mice, spots detection was related to high iron and calcium load within amyloid plaques and thus reflects the ability of such plaque to capture large amounts of minerals. Interestingly, calcium and iron was also detected in extra-thalamic plaques but with a lower intensity. Hypointense lesions in the thalamus were not associated with the iron load in the tissue surrounding the plaques, nor with micro-hemorrhages, inflammation, or a neurodegenerative context.
authors.affiliation: URA CEA CNRS 2210, I2BM, SHFJ, 4 Place du Général Leclerc, 91401 Orsay Cedex, France. Marc.Dhenain@cea.fr
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dhenain
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: El Tannir El Tayara
authors.forename: Ting-Di
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Maryvonne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guégan
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Volk
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Quintana
authors.forename: Benoît
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Delatour
mesh_terms: D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D058225:Plaque, Amyloid / Q000473:pathology*; D053764:Presenilin-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D013788:Thalamus / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor; D053764:Presenilin-1