The Effects of Zinc and Copper Supplementation on Double Transgenic (App/Tau) Mice Models of Alzheimer’s Disease
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Gervase, Tatiana
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Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) accounts for 70% of dementia, but there is no known cure for the disorder so many non-drug therapeutic treatments include changes in diet and maintaining a healthier lifestyle (Kametani & Hasegawa, 2018). There have been many behavioral studies examining the effect on zinc supplementation into AD mice models. However, while there is some contradicting evidence, overall, the evidence suggests that zinc supplementation results in a negative effect on behavior which may be a result of the diet causing a copper deficiency, another trace metal that plays a crucial role in the development of AD. This thesis examined the role of zinc and zinc and copper supplementation on 3.5-month dual transgenic (APP/h-tau) AD mice models to investigate if the addition of copper alleviated the negative behavioral effect. Results found that zinc and copper supplementation still had an overall negative effect compared to wildtype (WT) mice in all four tests: Morris water maze, nesting, burrowing, and circadian activities, as well as no overall metal supplementation effect. Additionally, it was also found that female mice were more anxious than males were and performed worse at the activities of daily living (ADL) tests, with females on the metal supplements displaying the worst behaviors of anxiety. These findings suggest metal supplementation is not an acceptable treatment for AD patients.
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Alzheimer's, Zinc, Mice, Behavior, Copper