title: Lack of spontaneous age-related brain pathology in Octodon degus: a reappraisal of the model.
abstract: Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by the degeneration of specific brain areas associated with accumulation of disease-related protein in extra- or intra-cellular deposits. Their preclinical investigations are mostly based on genetically-engineered animals. Despite their interest, these models are often based on high level of disease-related protein expression, thus questioning their relevance to human pathology and calling for the alternate use of ecological models. In the past few years, Octodon degus has emerged as a promising animal model displaying age-dependent Alzheimer's disease-related pathology. As neurodegenerative-related proteins often co-deposit in the brain of patients, we assessed the occurrence of α-synuclein-related pathology in this model using state-of-the-art immunohistochemistry and biochemistry. Despite our efforts and in contrast with previously published results, our study argues against the use of Octodon degus as a suitable natural model of neurodegenerative disorder as we failed to identify either Parkinson's disease- or Alzheimer's disease-related brain pathologies.
authors.affiliation: Univ. de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.|CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bourdenx
authors.affiliation: Univ. de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.|CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dovero
authors.affiliation: Univ. de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.|CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: Marie-Laure
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Thiolat
authors.affiliation: Univ. de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.|CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: Erwan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bezard
authors.affiliation: Univ. de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.|CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dehay
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology; D000544:Alzheimer Disease; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D046329:Octodon / Q000378:metabolism*; D010300:Parkinson Disease; D051844:alpha-Synuclein
chemical_list: D051844:alpha-Synuclein