1. Pioglitazone induces the clearance of amyloid in APP/PS1 mice.
Pioglitazone induces the clearance of amyloid in APP/PS1 mice. APP/PS1 mice were gavaged for 9 d with pioglitazone (80 mg · kg−1 · d−1) or vehicle (water). Plaque pathology was evaluated in the cortex of vehicle- or pioglitazone-treated 6 month (A–C, F–H) or 12 month (C–F, K, L) animals by staining with 6E10 (anti-Aβ antibody) (A, B, D, E) or thioflavin S. Quantification of 6E10+ plaque area (C) and number of thioS-positive plaques (F). Soluble and insoluble levels of Aβ40 and Aβ42 were measured by ELISA in 6 (G, H) and 12 (K, L) month animals. Real-time quantification of mRNA levels of app and the APP proteases bace and psen1 were measured in 6 (I) and 12 (M) month animals to determine whether pioglitazone treatment altered the expression of enzymes involved in APP processing. Cortical homogenates were evaluated for protein levels of APP and APP C-terminal fragments to determine whether PPARγ activation affected APP levels or processing in 6 month (J) and 12 month (N) animals (mean ± SEM, Student's t test, *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, n ≥ 6 animals/group).
Shweta Mandrekar-Colucci et al. J. Neurosci. 2012;32:
©2012 by Society for Neuroscience