Recommendations for measuring whisker movements and locomotion in mice with sensory, motor and cognitive deficits.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have measured whisker movements and locomotion to characterise mouse models of neurodegenerative disease. However, these studies have always been completed in isolation, and do not involve standardized procedures for comparisons across multiple mouse models and background strains. NEW METHOD: We present a standard method for conducting whisker movement and locomotion studies, by carrying out qualitative scoring and quantitative measurement of whisker movements from high-speed video footage of mouse models of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Cerebellar Ataxia, Somatosensory Cortex Development and Ischemic stroke. RESULTS: Sex, background strain, source breeder and genotype all affected whisker movements. All mouse models, apart from Parkinson's disease, revealed differences in whisker movements during locomotion. R6/2 CAG250 Huntington's disease mice had the strongest behavioural phenotype. Robo3R3-5-CKO and RIM-DKOSert mouse models have abnormal somatosensory cortex development and revealed significant changes in whisker movements during object exploration. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHOD(S): Our results have good agreement with past studies, which indicates the robustness and reliability of measuring whisking. We recommend that differences in whisker movements of mice with motor deficits can be captured in open field arenas, but that mice with impairments to sensory or cognitive functioning should also be filmed investigating objects. Scoring clips qualitatively before tracking will help to structure later analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Studying whisker movements provides a quantitative measure of sensing, motor control and exploration. However, the effect of background strain, sex and age on whisker movements needs to be better understood.

Lickometry: A novel and sensitive method for assessing functional deficits in rats after stroke.

The need for sensitive, easy to administer assessments of long-term functional deficits is crucial in pre-clinical stroke research. In the present study, we introduce lickometry (lick microstructure analysis) as a precise method to assess sensorimotor deficits up to 40 days after middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats. Impairments in drinking efficiency compared to controls, and a compensatory increase in the number of drinking clusters were observed. This highlights the utility of this easy to administer task in assessing subtle, long-term deficits, which could be likened to oral deficits in patients.

Costimulation with anti-cluster of differentiation 3 and anti-cluster of differentiation 28 reduces the activity of mucin 1-stimulated human mononuclear cells.

Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte activation and extension of the cell life span is necessary in order to enable immunotherapy to perform effectively against cancer. In the present study, mucin 1 (MUC1)-stimulated human mononuclear cells (M1SHMCs) were costimulated with bead-attached monoclonal antibodies specific for cluster of differentiation (CD)3 and CD28 receptors. The study was undertaken to determine whether costimulation was capable of enhancing the killing of cancer cells in vitro and of protecting non-obese diabetic severe combined immunodeficient mice from tumor development. Lysis of MCF-7 tumor cells by M1SHMCs was reduced following costimulation with anti-CD3 and anti-CD28. Furthermore, costimulation with anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 eliminated the protective effects of M1SHMCs on MCF-7 breast cancer cell growth in the non-obese diabetic severe combined immunodeficient mice. The present study suggested that costimulation with anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 is not advisable following antigen activation of lymphocytes under the conditions used here. Using a lower anti-CD3/CD28 bead to T-cell ratio may prevent immune suppression, however, further studies are required to support this hypothesis.

TGFα-PE38 enhances cytotoxic T-lymphocyte killing of breast cancer cells.

The aim of the present study was to determine whether the combination of two modalities of immunotherapy, targeting two different tumor antigens, may be feasible and non-toxic, yet enhance the killing of a human breast cancer cell line. The first modality was tumor growth factor α-Pseudomonas exotoxin 38 (TGFα-PE38), which specifically targets and kills tumor cells that express the epidermal growth factor receptor. The second modality was mucin-1 (MUC1)-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), generated by MUC1 stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells, to target the human breast cancer cell line, MCF7. TGFα-PE38 exhibited specific lysis of the MCF7 cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. TGFα-PE38 did not kill the normal hematopoietic stem cells or CTLs. Furthermore, TGFα-PE38 was not inhibitory for the growth or differentiation of the normal human hematopoietic stem cells into erythroid and myeloid colonies. In addition, TGFα-PE38 did not inhibit the killing function of CTLs, either when preincubated or co-incubated with CTLs. Finally, therapeutic enhancement was observed, in that TGFα-PE38 and CTLs were additive in the specific lysis of the MCF7 cells. These two modalities of immunotherapy may be beneficial for humans with breast cancer with or without other therapies, including autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, specifically for purging cancer cells from hematopoietic stem cells prior to transplantation.

Tucaresol down-modulation of MUC1-stimulated human mononuclear cells.

Interaction between antigen presenting cells and T lymphocytes, through receptors and co-stimulatory molecules present on the surface of these cells, is one of the key means to modulate the adaptive immune system. Tucaresol, a Schiff-base-forming chemical, can be used as a substitute for the physiological donor of carbonyl groups of antigen presenting cells, which can interact with the amine groups of T lymphocytes to modulate the adaptive immune system. This study was done to determine whether tucaresol can enhance killing of cancer cells in vitro as well as protect non-obese diabetic severe combined immunodeficient mice from tumor development by mucin 1 stimulated human mononuclear cells through the adaptive immune system. The expected hypothesis was not supported. Percent specific lysis of MCF-7 tumor cells by mucin 1 stimulated human mononuclear cells was reduced by tucaresol. Furthermore, tucaresol abolished the protective effect of mucin 1 stimulated human mononuclear cells against MCF-7 breast cancer cell growth in non-obese diabetic severe combined immunodeficient mice. This study implies that tucaresol may be of use as an immunosuppressive agent.

Prevention of human adenocarcinoma with CpG-ODN in a mouse model.

CpG-ODNs activate various immune cell subsets and induce the production of numerous cytokines. To determine whether a CpG-ODN-activated innate immune system, without the adaptive immune system, was capable of protecting against cancer cell growth, NOD/SCID mice, which do not have T or B cell function but have a functional innate immune system, were used as a model system. NOD/SCID mice were injected subcutaneously with human prostate cancer cells followed by subcutaneous injection of incremental doses of CpG-ODNs. CpG-ODNs displayed a dose-related antitumoral effect leading to the prevention of tumor growth. These results indicate that ODNs are capable of activating the innate immune system and destroying human cancer cells in the absence of the adaptive immune system.