Abstract
The loss of cognitive function is a pervasive and often debilitating feature of the aging process for which there are no effective therapeutics. We hypothesized that a novel metal chaperone (PBT2; Prana Biotechnology, Parkville, Victoria, Australia) would enhance cognition in aged rodents. We show here that PBT2 rapidly improves the performance of aged C57Bl/6 mice in the Morris water maze, concomitant with increases in dendritic spine density, hippocampal neuron number and markers of neurogenesis. There were also increased levels of specific glutamate receptors (alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid and N-methyl-d-aspartate), the glutamate transporter (VGLUT1) and glutamate itself. Markers of synaptic plasticity [calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) and phosphorylated CaMKII, CREB, synaptophysin] were also increased following PBT2 treatment. We also demonstrate that PBT2 treatment results in a subregion-specific increase in hippocampal zinc, which is increasingly recognized as a potent neuromodulator. These data demonstrate that metal chaperones are a novel approach to the treatment of age-related cognitive decline.
Highlights
The normal ageing process is characterized by a decline in function across multiple physiological domains, including cognition
We hypothesized that a novel metal chaperone (PBT2, Prana Biotechnology) would enhance cognition in aged rodents
We show here that PBT2 rapidly improves the performance of aged C57Bl/6 mice in the Morris water maze, concomitant with increases in dendritic spine density, hippocampal neuron number and markers of neurogenesis
Summary
The normal ageing process is characterized by a decline in function across multiple physiological domains, including cognition. Delayed recall of verbal information (Albert et al 1987), working memory, short-term recall (Craik et al 1994) and spatial memory (Montgomery et al 2000) all show a gradual decline across age in the human population. These memory impairments tangibly impact an individual’s activities of daily living
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