title: Impact of CRFR1 Ablation on Amyloid-β Production and Accumulation in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease.
abstract: Stress exposure and the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) system have been implicated as mechanistically involved in both Alzheimer's disease (AD) and associated rodent models. In particular, the major stress receptor, CRF receptor type 1 (CRFR1), modulates cellular activity in many AD-relevant brain areas, and has been demonstrated to impact both tau phosphorylation and amyloid-β (Aβ) pathways. The overarching goal of our laboratory is to develop and characterize agents that impact the CRF signaling system as disease-modifying treatments for AD. In the present study, we developed a novel transgenic mouse to determine whether partial or complete ablation of CRFR1 was feasible in an AD transgenic model and whether this type of treatment could impact Aβ pathology. Double transgenic AD mice (PSAPP) were crossed to mice null for CRFR1; resultant CRFR1 heterozygous (PSAPP-R1(+/-)) and homozygous (PSAPP-R1(-/-)) female offspring were used at 12 months of age to examine the impact of CRFR1 disruption on the severity of AD Aβ levels and pathology. We found that both PSAPP-R1(+/-) and PSAPP-R1(-/-) had significantly reduced Aβ burden in the hippocampus, insular, rhinal, and retrosplenial cortices. Accordingly, we observed dramatic reductions in Aβ peptides and AβPP-CTFs, providing support for a direct relationship between CRFR1 and Aβ production pathways. In summary, our results suggest that interference of CRFR1 in an AD model is tolerable and is efficacious in impacting Aβ neuropathology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Shannon N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Allyson D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Roe
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Nickey
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Kathleen U
authors.initials: KU
authors.lastname: Lao
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Monte
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA Department of Family Preventive Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Michael C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Donohue
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Rissman
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D058225:Plaque, Amyloid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D053764:Presenilin-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018019:Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics; D000099052:CRF Receptor, Type 1
chemical_list: C545487:APP protein, human; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor; C508853:PSEN1 protein, human; D053764:Presenilin-1; D018019:Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D000099052:CRF Receptor, Type 1
keywords: Alzheimer's disease; amyloid-β; corticotropin-releasing factor; corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1; hippocampus; hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal axis; stress; triple transgenic