Progression of multiple behavioral deficits with various ages of onset in a murine model of Hurler syndrome.
Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I) is one of the most common lysosomal storage diseases with progressive neurological dysfunction. To characterize the chronological behavioral profiles and identify the onset of functional deficits in a MPS I mouse model (IDUA(-/-)), we evaluated anxiety, locomotor behavior, startle, spatial learning and memory with mice at 2, 4, 6 and 8 months of age. In automated open-field test, IDUA(-/-) mice showed hypoactivity as early as 2 months of age and altered anxiety starting from 6 months of age during the initial exploratory phase, even though normal habituation was observed at all ages. In the marble-burying task, the anxiety-like compulsive behavior was normal in IDUA(-/-) mice at almost all tested ages, but significantly reduced in 8-month old male IDUA(-/-) mice which coincided with the rapid death of IDUA(-/-) males starting from 7 months of age. In the Morris water maze, IDUA(-/-) mice exhibited impaired proficient learning only at 4 months of age during the acquisition phase. Spatial memory deficits were observed in IDUA(-/-) mice during both 1 and 7 days probe trials at 4 and 8 months of age. The IDUA(-/-) mice performed normally in a novel object recognition task at younger ages until 8 months old when reduced visual cognitive memory retention was noted in the IDUA(-/-) mice. In addition, 8-month-old IDUA(-/-) mice failed to habituate to repeated open-field exposure, suggesting deficits in non-aversive and non-associative memory. In acoustic startle assessment, significantly more non-responders were found in IDUA(-/-) mice, but normal performance was seen in those that did show a response. These results presented a temporal evaluation of phenotypic behavioral dysfunctions in IDUA(-/-) mice from adolescence to maturity, indicating the impairments, with different ages of onset, in locomotor and anxiety-like compulsive behaviors, spatial learning and memory, visual recognition and short-term non-associative memory retention. This study would also provide guidelines for the experimental designs of behavioral evaluation on innovative therapies for the treatment of MPS type I.
Pan
Dao
D
Molecular and Gene Therapy Program, Division of Experimental Hematology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH 45249, USA. dao.pan@cchmc.org
Sciascia
Anthony
A
Vorhees
Charles V
CV
Williams
Michael T
MT
D017668:Age of Onset; D000818:Animals; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006948:Hyperkinesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D007068:Iduronidase / Q000235:genetics*; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008059:Mucopolysaccharidosis I / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019965:Neurocognitive Disorders / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010641:Phenotype; D013216:Reflex, Startle / Q000235:genetics
D007068:Iduronidase