Unitat de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Universitat de Barcelona and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Barcelona, Spain.
Curr Alzheimer Res. 2012 Mar;9(3):298-314. doi: 10.2174/156720512800107546.
In the search for appropriate models for Alzheimer's disease (AD) involving animals other than rodents, several laboratories are working with animals that naturally develop cognitive dysfunction. Among the animals tested, dogs are quite unique in helping to elucidate the cascade of events that take place in brain amyloid-beta (Aβ)deposition aging, and cognitive deficit. Recent innovative research has validated human methods and tools for the analysis of canine neuropathology and has allowed the development of two different approaches to investigate dogs as natural models of AD. The first approach relates AD-like neuropathy with the decline in memory and learning ability in aged housed dogs in a highly controlled laboratory environment. The second approach involves research in family-owned animals with cognitive dysfunction syndrome. In this review, we compare the strengths and limitations of housed and family-owned canine models, and appraise their usefulness for deciphering the early mechanisms of AD and developing innovative therapies.
在寻找涉及非啮齿类动物的阿尔茨海默病（AD）的合适模型时，几个实验室正在使用自然发生认知功能障碍的动物。在测试的动物中，狗在帮助阐明大脑淀粉样蛋白-β（Aβ）沉积老化和认知缺陷过程中发生的级联事件方面非常独特。最近的创新研究验证了人类分析犬神经病理学的方法和工具，并允许采用两种不同的方法将狗作为 AD 的天然模型进行研究。第一种方法将 AD 样神经病变与记忆和学习能力在高度受控的实验室环境中衰老的家养犬下降相关联。第二种方法涉及研究具有认知功能障碍综合征的家养动物。在这篇综述中，我们比较了笼养犬和家养犬模型的优缺点，并评估了它们用于破译 AD 的早期机制和开发创新疗法的有用性。
