Effects of neural stem cell transplantation associated to resistance exercise program in transgenic mice for Alzheimer's Disease

• Grant number: 17/15128-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2017
• End date: September 30, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Physiology - Physiology of Organs and Systems
• Principal Investigator: Beatriz de Oliveira Monteiro
• Grantee: Henrique Correia Campos
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is clinically characterized by the progressive loss of memory, behavioral and learning dysfunction and cognitive deficits. Among the main physiopathological features are the presence of extracellular ²- amyloid plaques (²‘) and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles of tau protein.Experimental studies of the AD been developed in transgenic animal models that produce ²‘ plaques and neurofibrillary tangles.The double transgenic mice (APP/PS1) have been widely used in various studies of AD, because it presents formation of ²‘ plaques easily detectable in the cortex and hippocampus from 6 months of age, in addition to cognitive deficits in earlier ages. According to studies conducted on transgenic models, physical exercise can slow down the process of neurodegeneration of AD, and thus reducing the risks and the development of the AD in humans. Neural stem cells (NSC) are able to generate specific cell populations such as neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes.Studies indicate that transplantation of NSC must contribute to recovering cognitive function and neuronal regeneration, reducing the formation of ²‘ plaques and improving cognitive function. In this way, the hypothesis of this study is that the NSC transplantation, associated with a program of resistence physical exercise, should interfere in hippocampal neurogenesis, formation of ²‘ plaques and reducing inflammation in the cortex and hippocampus of transgenic APP/PS1 animals, besides reducing clinical symptoms of memory loss and cognitive deficit decline. In this way, this work aims to investigate the effect of NSC transplantation associated with physical resistence exercise on the recovery of neuropathological condition in transgenic APP/PS1 animals. (AU)