J Korean Acad Rehabil Med.
2007 Oct;31(5):503-511.
Behavioral Testing for Therapeutic Outcome Measurements in an Animal Model of Huntington's Disease
- Affiliations
-
- 1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and Research Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Korea. pes1234@yumc.yonsei.ac.kr
- 2Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Korea.
- 3Department of Pharmacology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Korea.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To investigate which outcome measurements are useful for detecting functional changes after therapeutic approach to delayed motor impairment in an animal model of Huntington's disease (HD). METHOD: R6/2 transgenic mice received intraventricular injections of adenoviral BDNF/noggin (AdB/N), AdBDNF, AdNull (n=15 each) at 4 weeks of age. Untreated R6/2s and wild-type mice were also recruited as controls. Motor performance was measured using rotarod analysis and locomotor activity test at regular intervals until preterminal age of 13 weeks.
RESULTS
On constant speed rotarod testing, AdB/N-treated R6/2s exhibited a delayed disease progression after post- operative 6 weeks. AdB/N also ameliorated general locomotor activity deficits. One min-rotarod analysis showed a delayed motor impairment in AdBDNF group at preterminal age compared with AdNull and untreated controls, which was not shown in 3 min and 5 min-rotarod. Accelerating rotarod paradigm was not superior to constant speed. Partial therapeutic effects on locomotor activities were detected in total 60 min-monitoring, but not in 30 min- or 10 min- monitoring.
CONCLUSION
Appropriate behavioral testing and outcome measurements should be selected to detect the treatment effect to slow functional deterioration in HD.
