PSAPP mice exhibit regionally selective reductions in gliosis and plaque deposition in response to S100B ablation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Numerous studies have reported that increased expression of S100B, an intracellular Ca²⁺receptor protein and secreted neuropeptide, exacerbates Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. However, the ability of S100B inhibitors to prevent/reverse AD histopathology remains controversial. This study examines the effect of S100B ablation on <it>in vivo </it>plaque load, gliosis and dystrophic neurons.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Because S100B-specific inhibitors are not available, genetic ablation was used to inhibit S100B function in the PSAPP AD mouse model. The PSAPP/S100B^-/-line was generated by crossing PSAPP double transgenic males with S100B^-/-females and maintained as PSAPP/S100B^+/-crosses. Congo red staining was used to quantify plaque load, plaque number and plaque size in 6 month old PSAPP and PSAPP/S100B^-/-littermates. The microglial marker Iba1 and astrocytic marker glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were used to quantify gliosis. Dystrophic neurons were detected with the phospho-tau antibody AT8. S100B immunohistochemistry was used to assess the spatial distribution of S100B in the PSAPP line.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>PSAPP/S100B^-/-mice exhibited a regionally selective decrease in cortical but not hippocampal plaque load when compared to PSAPP littermates. This regionally selective reduction in plaque load was accompanied by decreases in plaque number, GFAP-positive astrocytes, Iba1-positive microglia and phospho-tau positive dystrophic neurons. These effects were not attributable to regional variability in the distribution of S100B. Hippocampal and cortical S100B immunoreactivity in PSAPP mice was associated with plaques and co-localized with astrocytes and microglia.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Collectively, these data support S100B inhibition as a novel strategy for reducing cortical plaque load, gliosis and neuronal dysfunction in AD and suggest that both extracellular as well as intracellular S100B contribute to AD histopathology.</p

S100A1 promotes action potential-initiated calcium release flux and force production in skeletal muscle

The role of S100A1 in skeletal muscle is just beginning to be elucidated. We have previously shown that skeletal muscle fibers from S100A1 knockout (KO) mice exhibit decreased action potential (AP)-evoked Ca2+ transients, and that S100A1 binds competitively with calmodulin to a canonical S100 binding sequence within the calmodulin-binding domain of the skeletal muscle ryanodine receptor. Using voltage clamped fibers, we found that Ca2+ release was suppressed at all test membrane potentials in S100A1−/− fibers. Here we examine the role of S100A1 during physiological AP-induced muscle activity, using an integrative approach spanning AP propagation to muscle force production. With the voltage-sensitive indicator di-8-aminonaphthylethenylpyridinium, we first demonstrate that the AP waveform is not altered in flexor digitorum brevis muscle fibers isolated from S100A1 KO mice. We then use a model for myoplasmic Ca2+ binding and transport processes to calculate sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release flux initiated by APs and demonstrate decreased release flux and greater inactivation of flux in KO fibers. Using in vivo stimulation of tibialis anterior muscles in anesthetized mice, we show that the maximal isometric force response to twitch and tetanic stimulation is decreased in S100A1−/− muscles. KO muscles also fatigue more rapidly upon repetitive stimulation than those of wild-type counterparts. We additionally show that fiber diameter, type, and expression of key excitation-contraction coupling proteins are unchanged in S100A1 KO muscle. We conclude that the absence of S100A1 suppresses physiological AP-induced Ca2+ release flux, resulting in impaired contractile activation and force production in skeletal muscle