title: Anle138b Partly Ameliorates Motor Deficits Despite Failure of Neuroprotection in a Model of Advanced Multiple System Atrophy.
abstract: The neurodegenerative disorder multiple system atrophy (MSA) is characterized by autonomic failure, cerebellar ataxia and parkinsonism in any combination associated with predominantly oligodendroglial α-synuclein (α-syn) aggregates (glial cytoplasmic inclusions = GCIs). To date, there is no effective disease modifying therapy. Previous experiments have shown that the aggregation inhibitor anle138b reduces neurodegeneration, as well as behavioral deficits in both transgenic and toxin mouse models of Parkinson's disease (PD). Here we analyzed whether anle138b improves motor skills and reduces neuronal loss, as well as oligodendroglial α-syn aggregation in the PLP-α-syn transgenic mouse challenged with the mitochondrial toxin 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP) to model full-blown MSA. Following 1 month of treatment with anle138b, MSA mice showed signs of motor improvement affecting stride length, but not pole, grip strength, and beam test performance. Loss of dopaminergic nigral neurons and Purkinje cells was not attenuated and GCI density remained unchanged. These data suggest that the pathology in transgenic PLP-α-syn mice receiving 3-NP might be too advanced to detect significant effects of anle138b treatment on neuronal loss and intracytoplasmic α-syn inclusion bodies. However, the partial motor amelioration may indicate potential efficacy of anle138b treatment that may be mediated by its actions on α-syn oligomers or may reflect improvement of neuronal dysfunction in neural at risk populations. Further studies are required to address the efficacy of anle138b in transgenic α-syn models of early-stage MSA and in the absence of additional toxin application.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurobiology, Department of Neurology, Medical University Innsbruck Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fellner
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurobiology, Department of Neurology, Medical University Innsbruck Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kuzdas-Wood
authors.affiliation: Neurologische Klinik, Klinikum der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Levin
authors.affiliation: NMR based structural Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical ChemistryGöttingen, Germany; DFG Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the BrainGöttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Sergey
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ryazanov
authors.affiliation: NMR based structural Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical ChemistryGöttingen, Germany; DFG Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the BrainGöttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Andrei
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leonov
authors.affiliation: NMR based structural Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical ChemistryGöttingen, Germany; DFG Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the BrainGöttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Griesinger
authors.affiliation: Zentrum für Neuropathologie und Prionforschung, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Armin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giese
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurobiology, Department of Neurology, Medical University Innsbruck Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Gregor K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Wenning
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurobiology, Department of Neurology, Medical University Innsbruck Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Stefanova
keywords: 3- nitropropionic acid; Anle138b; glial cytoplasmic inclusions; multiple system atrophy; α-synuclein