Gene expression profile of amyloid beta protein-injected mouse model for Alzheimer disease

Aim: To investigate the gene expression profile changes in the cerebral cortex of mice injected icv with amyloid beta-protein (A beta) fragment 25-35 using cDNA microarray. Methods: Balb/c mice were randomly divided into a control group and A beta-treated group. The Morris water maze test was performed to detect the effect of A beta-injection on the learning and memory of mice. Atlas Mouse 1.2 Expression Arrays containing 1176 genes were used to investigate the gene expression pattern of each group. Results: The gene expression profiles showed that 19 genes including TBX1, NF-kappa B, AP-1/c-Jun, cadherin, integrin, erb-B2, and FGFR1 were up-regulated after 2 weeks of icv administration of A beta; while 12 genes were down-regulated, including NGF, glucose phosphate isomerase 1, AT motif binding factor 1, Na+/K+-ATPase, and Akt. Conclusions: The results provide important leads for pursuing a more complete understanding of the molecular events of A beta-injection into mice with Alzheimer disease.