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Abstract #2367

Metabolic Profiling to Characterise Brain Tissues from a New Animal Model of Neurodegeneration with Lewy Body Pathology

Philippine Camilla Geiszler1,2, Lynn Bedford3, R John Mayer3, Dorothee P. Auer1, Clare A. Daykin2

1Division of Academic Radiology, School of Clinical Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom; 2Division of Molecular and Cellular Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom; 3School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, Nottinghanshire, United Kingdom


This NMR spectroscopy-based metabolic profiling pilot study was conducted to examine the ability to characterise early effects of neurodegeneration in ubiquitin proteasome-depleted mice. In specific brain areas, these animals develop pyknotic nuclei preceding Lewy body-like neuronal inclusions and extensive neuronal loss. Cortices and hippocampi were extracted at the pyknotic nuclei stage. Liquid-state spectra, recorded at 400MHz, showed significant metabolic alterations (N-acetylaspartate, taurine, choline) in both areas indicative of substantial neuronal cell remodelling before neuronal death. The investigation demonstrated clearly the ability of NMR-based metabolic profiling techniques to aid in the characterisation of early neurodegeneration.