Ethyl-EPA treatment improves motor dysfunction, but not neurodegeneration in the YAC128 mouse model of Huntington disease

Exp Neurol. 2005 Dec;196(2):266-72. doi: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2005.07.021. Epub 2005 Aug 29.

Abstract

Huntington disease (HD) is an adult-onset neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by selective degeneration in the striatum. There are currently no treatments that can prevent the progressive decline of motor and cognitive function in HD. In parallel with a human clinical trial, we examined the efficacy of ethyl-EPA treatment in the YAC128 mouse model of HD. Oral delivery of ethyl-EPA to symptomatic YAC128 mice beginning at 7 months of age increased membrane EPA levels 3-fold (P < 0.001) and resulted in a modest but significant improvement in motor dysfunction by 12 months of age as measured by open-field activity (P = 0.01) and performance on the rotarod (P = 0.05). At this age, ethyl-EPA-treated YAC128 mice showed no improvement in striatal volume, striatal neuron counts, striatal neuronal cross-sectional area, or striatal DARPP-32 expression compared to untreated YAC128 mice, thereby indicating no reduction of striatal neuropathology. This result is congruent with modest motor benefits observed in HD patients treated with ethyl-EPA. Overall, this work demonstrates the feasibility of experimental therapeutics in the YAC128 mouse model and suggests that experiments in these mice may be predictive for future human clinical trials.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Behavior, Animal / drug effects*
  • Cell Count / methods
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Dopamine and cAMP-Regulated Phosphoprotein 32 / metabolism
  • Eicosapentaenoic Acid / analogs & derivatives*
  • Eicosapentaenoic Acid / therapeutic use
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / methods
  • Exploratory Behavior / drug effects
  • Gene Expression Regulation / drug effects
  • Huntington Disease / complications
  • Huntington Disease / drug therapy*
  • Huntington Disease / pathology
  • Immunohistochemistry / methods
  • Mice
  • Motor Activity / drug effects*
  • Nerve Degeneration / etiology
  • Nerve Degeneration / prevention & control
  • Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / metabolism
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Dopamine and cAMP-Regulated Phosphoprotein 32
  • eicosapentaenoic acid ethyl ester
  • Eicosapentaenoic Acid
  • Phosphopyruvate Hydratase