Cristina Cudalbu1, Vladimir Mlynrik1, Juliane Bremer2, Adriano Aguzzi2, Rolf Gruetter1,3
1Laboratory for Functional and Metabolic Imaging (LIFMET), Ecole Polytechnique Fdrale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland; 2Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; 3Departments of Radiology, Universities of Lausanne and Geneva, Switzerland
The prion diseases form a group of fatal neurodegenerative diseases. Animal models were created to study the role of the prion protein. The aim of our study was to use in vivo 1H MRS at 14.1T to measure the neurochemical profile in mice lacking of prion protein (Prnp-/-). We have evaluated the in vivo concentration of 18 metabolites in the hippocampus of Prnp-/- mice. The Ins increase and the trend towards a decrease in Gln detected may reflect gliosis, consistent with the histological features, whereas the reduced NAA, Gln and Glu seem to indicate a dysfunction in the neurotransmitter metabolism.