Alexandra Petiet1,2, Anne Bertrand2,3,
Christopher J. Wiggins3, Fanny Petit2, Diane Houitte2,
Thomas Debeir1, Thomas Rooney1, Philippe Hantraye2,
Marc Dhenain2,3
1CNS, sanofi-aventis, Vitry-sur-Seine,
France; 2MIRCen, CEA-CNRS URA 2210, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; 3DSV/I2BM/Neurospin,
CEA, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
Beta-amyloid
(Aβ) plaques, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD), are the
targets of many pharmacological trials. MRI can be used to image these
microscopic lesions (50200μm) in mouse models but their in vivo
detection is very challenging. We propose here a protocol based on the use of
a gadolinium contrast agent injected directly in the brain of live mice to
detect amyloid plaques. We show that Aβ plaques can be identified in
APP/PS1 mice aged from 6 to 20 months and that the plaque load measured with
MR correlates with histological measurements.
Keywords