Figure 4: Laquinimod improves motor function and depressive behaviour in YAC128 HD mice. | Scientific Reports

Figure 4: Laquinimod improves motor function and depressive behaviour in YAC128 HD mice.

From: Laquinimod rescues striatal, cortical and white matter pathology and results in modest behavioural improvements in the YAC128 model of Huntington disease

Figure 4

Vehicle-treated YAC128 HD mice displayed motor deficits in the climbing test (A). Low dose laquinimod partially restored performance in the climbing test in YAC128 HD mice by decreasing latency to climb at 4 and 8 months of age (A, upper panel) and increasing time spent climbing at 4 months of age (A, lower panel). High dose laquinimod improved latency to climb at 8 months of age (A, upper panel). In addition, vehicle-treated YAC128 HD mice displayed motor deficits in the accelerating rotarod test (B). Both doses of Laquinimod improved motor function in YAC128 HD mice at 6 months of age, which were maintained at 8 months with low dose laquinimod treatment (B). Also, vehicle-treated YAC128 HD mice exhibited increased immobility in the forced swim test of depression, which was reduced in laquinimod-treated YAC128 HD mice (C). Laquinimod treatment had no effect on weight gain in YAC128 HD mice (D). (A) Values shown as mean ± SEM; n = 10–11 WT-vehicle, n = 12–16 YAC128-vehicle, n = 19 YAC128-laquinimod (1 mg/kg), n = 19–22 YAC128-laquinimod (10 mg/kg); *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ****p < 0.0001 (compared with vehicle-treated WT) and #p < 0.05, ##p < 0.01 (compared to vehicle-treated YAC128) by one-way ANOVA with LSD post hoc analysis. LAQ – laquinimod. (B) Values shown as percentage of baseline ± SEM.; n = 10–12 WT-vehicle, n = 16 YAC128-vehicle, n = 19 YAC128-laquinimod (1 mg/kg), n = 21–22 YAC128-laquinimod (10 mg/kg); *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 (compared with vehicle-treated WT) by one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post hoc analysis. (C) Values shown as mean ± SEM; n = 9 WT-vehicle, n = 17 YAC128-vehicle, n = 19 YAC128-laquinimod (1 mg/kg), n = 22 YAC128-laquinimod (10 mg/kg); *p < 0.05 (compared with vehicle-treated WT) by paired Student’s t-test. (D) Values shown as mean ± SEM; n = 12 WT-vehicle, n = 15 YAC128-vehicle, n = 19 YAC128-laquinimod (1 mg/kg), n = 22 YAC128-laquinimod (10 mg/kg); *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001 by one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post hoc analysis. LAQ – laquinimod.

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