Figure 2

NSC transplantation at the early stage of AD attenuated the learning and memory impairment and decreased the number of amyloid plaques and tau pathology in Tg2576 mice. (a) We transplanted the NSC into 13-month-old Tg2576 mice, and then performed learning and memory tests 2 months after NSC treatment. After then, mice brains were isolated and the brain slices were stained with Congo red for the detection of amyloid plaques. (b) Training trials were conducted for 6 consecutive days. From fourth day of training trials, escape latency was significantly increased in Tg-sham group. However, the latency was decreased by Tg-NSC group compared with the Tg-sham group. (c) The probe test was carried out 48 h after the final training session. The times that the mice of each group stayed in zones 1–4 were compared. The time spent in the platform quadrant (zone 4) was decreased significantly in Tg-sham group. However, Tg-NSC group mice showed memory improvement compared with the Tg-sham group mice in zone 4. (d) Congo red staining was performed for the detection of amyloid plaques in the mouse brain. (e) Quantitative analysis of Congo red stained plaque number. In brains of NSC-transplanted Tg2576, Aβ deposition was significantly reduced in the cortex and hippocampus. (f) Phosphorylated tau and total tau were detected in cerebral cortex by western blot. (g) The graph represents that the amount of P-tau relative to total tau was significantly reduced in Tg-NSC group. *P<0.05, **P<0.01, ***P<0.001 by one-way ANOVA. P-TAU, phosphorylated tau