title: Intracerebroventricular transplantation of human amniotic epithelial cells ameliorates spatial memory deficit in the doubly transgenic mice coexpressing APPswe and PS1ΔE9-deleted genes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Human amniotic epithelial cells (HAECs), which have characteristics of both embryonic and pluripotent stem cells, are therefore a candidate in cell therapy without creating legal or ethical problems. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effects of intracerebroventricular transplantation of HAECs on doubly transgenic mice of Alzheimer's disease (AD) coexpressing presenilin-1 (PS1) and mutant Sweden amyloid precursor protein (APPswe) genes.
  
  
  METHODS
  The offspring mice genotypes were detected using PCR identification of APPswe and PS1 gene. The doubly transgenic (TG) mice (n = 20) and wild-type (WT) mice (n = 20) were randomly divided into two groups respectively: the transplantation group treated with HAECs and the control group with phosphate buffered saline. Six radial arm water maze test was used to assess the spatial memory in the TG and WT mice. Amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles were analyzed using congo red and acid-silver methenamine staining respectively. Immunofluorescence cytochemistry was used to track the survival of HAECs. Immunohistochemistry was used to determine the expression of octamer-binding protein 4 (Oct-4) and Nanog in the HAECs. High performance liquid chromatography was used to measure acetylcholine in hippocampus. The density of cholinergic neurons in basal forebrain and nerve fibers in hippocampus was measured using acetylcholinesterase staining.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Amyloid deposition occurred in hippocampus and frontal cortex in the double TG mice aged 8 months, but not in WT mice. The results also showed that transplanted HAECs can survive for at least 8 weeks and migrate to the third ventricle without immune rejection. The graft HAECs can also express the specific marker Oct-4 and Nanog of stem cell. Compared with the control group, transplantation of HAECs can not only significantly improve the spatial memory of the TG mice, but also increase acetylcholine concentration and the number of hippocampal cholinergic neurites.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results demonstrate that intracerebroventricular transplantation of HAECs can improve the spatial memory of the double TG mice. The higher content of acetylcholine in hippocampus released by more survived cholinergic neurites is one of the causes of this improvement.
authors: Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215006, China.
authors: Shou-ru
authors: SR
authors: Xue
authors: Chong-fang
authors: CF
authors: Chen
authors: Wan-li
authors: WL
authors: Dong
authors: Guo-zhen
authors: GZ
authors: Hui
authors: Tian-jun
authors: TJ
authors: Liu
authors: Li-he
authors: LH
authors: Guo
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000378:metabolism; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D000650:Amnion / Q000166:cytology*; D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000637:transplantation*; D005838:Genotype; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D000071317:Nanog Homeobox Protein; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D053764:Presenilin-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D000071317:Nanog Homeobox Protein; C475540:Nanog protein, mouse; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3; D053764:Presenilin-1; D000109:Acetylcholine