Reproductive Outcomes in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease

Reproductive Outcomes in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease

Alvin Sherman Library

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease lacking effective treatment. Despite women having 2x greater risk for developing AD, few studies have investigated the sex-specific factors that influence AD risk. Reports show a difference in the risk and progression of AD in parents and nonparents, suggesting motherhood may mitigate the risk and impacts of AD, but alternative explanations could play a role. For example, healthier and wealthier people may have more reproductive opportunities and less disease risk. Moreover, genes that alter disease risk could also modify fertility/fecundity, such as APOE4, a gene that increases both AD risk and fertility. We are directly testing the effects of motherhood on neurodegeneration and cognitive aging in control and transgenic mice used to model AD (3xTg-AD mice), and here we present the reproductive output of 3xTg-AD female mice compared to control (B6129) mice. We paired female and male mice until 4 days after their first litter, to ensure equal access to mates and had them remain with their partner during postpartum estrus. Reproductive outcomes such a+E56s the latency to giving birth; the number, weight, and sex ratio of offspring; and successful gestation and rearing of a second litter was measured in both strains. Preliminary results suggest no significant difference between the reproductive outcomes in both strains of mice, demonstrating that these three genes in the transgenic mouse model don’t affect reproductive output. This is an important demonstration that will strengthen the conclusions in our test of whether motherhood mitigates the risk of AD.