title: The neuroprotective effects of cyclin-dependent kinase-5 inhibition in mice with Niemann-Pick disease type C.
abstract: In order to investigate the neuroprotective effects of cyclin-dependent kinase-5 (cdk-5) inhibition in mice with Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC) (npc(-/-)), recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) carrying the small interfering RNA (siRNA) specific for cdk-5 gene was injected into 3-day-old npc(-/-) mice intracerebroventricularly. The rAAV-GFP-injected age-matched npc(-/-) mice and non-surgery age-matched npc(-/-) mice were employed as controls (n=6-10/group). From the 4th to 8th week after the treatment, mice were weighed, and evaluated for limb motor activity by using the coat hanger test once a week. Eight-week-old npc(-/-) mice were sacrificed by decapitation, and brains were quickly dissected and halved sagittally. Immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, and HE staining were used to evaluate the neuropathology in npc(-/-) mice. The results showed that rAAV-cdk-5-siRNA-GFP significantly reduced the number of axonal spheroids, delayed the death of Purkinje neurons, ameliorated motor defects in npc(-/-) mice, and significantly attenuated the hyperphosphorylation of tau proteins. These data suggested that inhibition of cdk-5 activity has neuroprotective effect on neurons in NPC mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Wuhan, 430030, China. youguohao6@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Youguo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: Dengji
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jinzhi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Linjuan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jiajun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Xuezhen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051360:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 5 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000235:genetics*; D000229:Dependovirus / Q000378:metabolism; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008818:Mice, Neurologic Mutants; D000077296:Niemann-Pick C1 Protein; D009542:Niemann-Pick Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D011689:Purkinje Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics*; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D000077296:Niemann-Pick C1 Protein; C106831:Npc1 protein, mouse; D011506:Proteins; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D016875:tau Proteins; D051360:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 5; C495906:Cdk5 protein, mouse