The effect of genetic background on behavioral manifestation of Grid2(Lc) mutation.

Mutant mice are commonly used models of hereditary diseases. Nevertheless, these mice have phenotypic traits of the original strain, which could interfere with the manifestation of the mutation of interest. Lurcher mice represent a model of olivocerebellar degeneration, which is caused by the Grid2(Lc) mutation. Lurchers show ataxia and various cognitive and behavioral abnormalities. The most commonly used strains of Lurcher mice are B6CBA and C3H, but there is no information about the role of genetic background on the Grid2(Lc) manifestation. The aim of this work was to compare spatial navigation in the Morris water maze, spontaneous activity in the open field and motor skills on the horizontal wire, slanted ladder and rotarod in B6CBA and C3H Lurcher mutant and wild type mice. The study showed impaired motor skills and water maze performance in both strains of Lurcher mice. Both C3H Lurcher and C3H wild type mice had poorer performances in the water maze task than their B6CBA counterparts. In the open field test, C3H mice showed higher activity and lower thigmotaxis. The study showed that genetic backgrounds can modify manifestations of the Lurcher mutation. In this case, B6CBA Lurcher mice models probably have more validity when studying the behavioral aspects of cerebellar degeneration than C3H Lurcher mice, since they do not combine abnormalities related to the Grid2(Lc) mutation with strain-specific problems.

Long-term survival of solid embryonic cerebellar grafts in Lurcher mice.

Lurcher mutant mice represent a natural model of olivocerebellar degeneration. They serve as a tool to study pathogenesis, the functional impact of the degeneration as well as therapeutic approaches. Wild type littermates are used as healthy controls. Neurotransplantation may be a promising method of therapy for neurodegenerative diseases. The aim of this work was to compare the long-term survival rate of the solid embryonic cerebellar graft in adult Lurcher mutant and wild type mice of the B6CBA strain and to assess the fundamental structural features of the graft. The graft was obtained from 12-day-old GFP mouse embryos. The brains of host mice were examined histologically 6 months after the transplantation. The graft was identified according to its GFP fluorescence. The graft presence and structure was assessed. The graft survived in all 14 Lurcher mice and in 12 of the 14 wild type mice. Cell migration and fibre sprouting from the graft were poor. No marked differences in the graft morphology between Lurcher mutant and wild type mice were found. The graft survival and appearance were similar to those after a shorter period described in a previous study. This suggests that during the 6 months, no intensive or commonly occurring processes changing the graft had proceeded and that the Lurcher mutant cerebellum niche had no strong influence over the fate of the solid cerebellar graft.

A preliminary study of solid embryonic cerebellar graft survival in adult B6CBA Lurcher mutant and wild type mice.

Lurcher mutant mice represent a model of olivocerebellar degeneration. They suffer from complete loss of Purkinje cells and a reduction of granule cells and inferior olive neurons. Their wild type littermates serve as healthy controls. The aim of the work was to compare solid embryonic cerebellar graft survival within a period of 9 weeks after their transplantation in adult Lurcher mutant and wild type mice of the B6CBA strain. The solid grafts were injected through a hole in the occipital bone. Host mice were sacrificed 3, 6, or 9 weeks after the transplantation and their cerebella and brain-stems were examined histologically to assess graft presence and structure. We did not find significant differences in graft survival rates between Lurcher mutant and wild type mice. The frequency of graft presence did not differ between mice examined 3, 6, and 9 weeks after the transplantation, neither in Lurchers nor in wild type mice. The grafts were of various sizes. In some cases, only small residua of the grafts were found. Nerve fiber sprouting and cell migration from the graft to the host tissue were observed more often in wild type mice than in Lurchers when examined 6 weeks after surgery. In the period 3-9 weeks after transplantation, massive dying out of the grafts was not observed despite regressive processes in some of the grafts. The degenerative changes in the Lurcher mutant cerebellum do not have strong impact on the fate of the solid cerebellar graft.

The effect of cerebellar transplantation and enforced physical activity on motor skills and spatial learning in adult Lurcher mutant mice.

Lurcher mutant mice represent a model of olivocerebellar degeneration. They are used to investigate cerebellar functions, consequences of cerebellar degeneration and methods of therapy influencing them. The aim of the work was to assess the effect of foetal cerebellar graft transplantation, repeated enforced physical activity and the combination of both these types of treatment on motor skills, spontaneous motor activity and spatial learning ability in adult B6CBA Lurcher mice. Foetal cerebellar grafts were applied into the cerebellum of Lurchers in the form of solid tissue pieces. Enforced motor activity was realised through rotarod training. Motor functions were examined using bar, ladder and rotarod tests. Spatial learning was tested in the Morris water maze. Spontaneous motor activity in the open field was observed. The presence of the graft was examined histologically. Enforced physical activity led to moderate improvement of some motor skills and to a significant amelioration of spatial learning ability in Lurchers. The transplantation of cerebellar tissue did not influence motor functions significantly but led to an improvement of spatial learning ability. Mutual advancement of the effects of both types of treatment was not observed. Spontaneous motor activity was influenced neither by physical activity nor by the transplantation. Physical activity did not influence the graft survival and development. Because nerve sprouting and cell migration from the graft to the host cerebellum was poor, the functional effects of the graft should be explained with regard to its trophic influence rather than with any involvement of the grafted cells into neural circuitries.

The effect of repeated rotarod training on motor skills and spatial learning ability in Lurcher mutant mice.

Lurcher mutant mice represent a model of olivocerebellar degeneration. Due to loss of Purkinje cells, they suffer from functional cerebellar decortication resulting in ataxia and deterioration of cognitive functions. The aim of the work was to assess the effect of enforced physical activity represented by rotarod training on motor skills and spatial learning in young and adult B6CBA Lurcher mice. These functions were compared with those in untrained wild type mice of the same age. We examined motor skills using bar, ladder and rotarod tests. Spatial learning was tested in the Morris water maze. Motor skills of Lurchers were found to be worse than in wild type mice, but they showed motor learning in the course of training. The training did not significantly influence the results on the bar and ladder. In the rotarod test, young trained Lurchers achieved only slightly better results than untrained ones. In adult mice, the improvement was insignificant. Lurchers failed in spatial learning test compared to the wild type mice. In the wild type mice there was no difference in learning between young and adult individuals, while young Lurchers learned better than older ones. Enforced motor activity led to spatial learning improvement in older Lurchers, but not in young ones. The experiments showed that effects of enforced physical activity in Lurcher mice mitigated the deficit in the water maze task related to age so that trained older Lurchers showed as good performance as younger ones but still worse than the wild type mice.