Cardiff University | Prifysgol Caerdydd ORCA
Online Research @ Cardiff 
WelshClear Cookie - decide language by browser settings

A longitudinal motor characterisation of the HdhQ111 mouse model of Huntington's Disease

Yhnell, Emma ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3960-5181, Dunnett, Stephen Bruce ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1826-1578 and Brooks, Simon Philip ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9853-6177 2016. A longitudinal motor characterisation of the HdhQ111 mouse model of Huntington's Disease. Journal of Huntington's Disease 5 (2) , pp. 149-161. 10.3233/JHD-160191

[thumbnail of A longitudinal motor characterisation of the HdhQ111 mouse model of Huntingtons disease.pdf]
Preview
PDF - Published Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution.

Download (1MB) | Preview

Abstract

Background: Huntington’s disease (HD) is a rare, incurable neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG trinucleotide expansion with the first exon of the huntingtin gene. Numerous knock-in mouse models are currently available for modelling HD. However, before their use in scientific research, these models must be characterised to determine their face and predictive validity as models of the disease and their reliability in recapitulating HD symptoms. Objective: Manifest HD is currently diagnosed upon the onset of motor symptoms, thus we sought to longitudinally characterise the progression and severity of motor signs in the HdhQ111 knock-in mouse model of HD, in heterozygous mice. Methods: An extensive battery of motor tests including: rotarod, inverted lid test, balance beam, spontaneous locomotor activity and gait analysis were applied longitudinally to a cohort of HdhQ111 heterozygous mice in order to progressively assess motor function. Results: A progressive failure to gain body weight was demonstrated from 11 months of age and motor problems in all measures of balance beam performance were shown in HdhQ111 heterozygous animals in comparison to wild type control animals from 9 months of age. A decreased latency to fall from the rotarod was demonstrated in HdhQ111 heterozygous animals in comparison to wild type animals, although this was not progressive with time. No genotype specific differences were demonstrated in any of the other motor tests included in the test battery. Conclusions: The HdhQ111 heterozygous mouse demonstrates a subtle and progressive motor phenotype that begins at 9 months of age. This mouse model represents an early disease stage and would be ideal for testing therapeutic strategies that require elongated lead-in times, such as viral gene therapies or striatal transplantation.

Item Type: Article
Date Type: Publication
Status: Published
Schools: Biosciences
Healthcare Sciences
Medicine
Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute (NMHRI)
Psychology
Subjects: R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC0321 Neuroscience. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
Publisher: IOS Press
ISSN: 1879-6397
Date of First Compliant Deposit: 5 July 2016
Date of Acceptance: 1 May 2016
Last Modified: 05 May 2023 05:43
URI: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/92330

Citation Data

Cited 12 times in Scopus. View in Scopus. Powered By Scopus® Data

Actions (repository staff only)

Edit Item Edit Item

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

View more statistics