Effects of Cerebrolysin™ on amyloid-β deposition in a transgenic model of Alzheimer’s disease

We investigated the potential mechanisms through which Cerebrolysin™, a neuroprotective noothropic agent, might affect Alzheimer’s disease pathology. Transgenic (tg) mice expressing mutant human (h) amyloid precursor protein 751 (APP751) cDNA under the Thy-1 promoter (mThyl-hAPP751) were treated for four weeks with this compound and analyzed by confocal microscopy to asses its effects on amyloid plaque formation and neurodegeneration. In this model, amyloid plaques in the brain are found much earlier (beginning at 3 months) than in other tg models. Quantitative computer-aided analysis with anti-amyloid-β protein (Aβ) antibodies, revealed that Cerebrolysin significantly reduced the amyloid burden in the frontal cortex of 5-month-old mice. Furthermore, Cerebrolysin treatment reduced the levels of Aβ1–42. This was accompanied by amelioration of the synaptic alterations in the frontal cortex of mThyl-hAPP751 tg mice. In conclusion, the present study supports the possibility that Cerebrolysin might have neuroprotective effects by decreasing the production of Af and reducing amyloid deposition.