Composition comprising hydroxyl modified fullerene substances decrease plaque load in 5XFAD mouse model of Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

The potential of fullerenes and fullerene’s water-soluble derivatives to bind to amyloid-b has been well documented in vitro and in silico. However, the anti-amyloid action of fullerenols in in vivo treatments has not been fully examined. In the present study we assessed the effects of the hydroxylated fullerene-water complex (3HFWC) on Alzheimer’s disease (AD) neuropathological hallmarks in 5XFAD mice, a well-recognized AD animal model. The 3-week-old 5XFAD mice were exposed to 3HFWC water solution ad libitum for 3 months. The 3HFWC treatment started in the presymptomatic phase of pathology and analyses were focused on the effects on amyloid-b (Ab) accumulation, plaque formation, gliosis, and synaptic plasticity in cortical and hippocampal tissue. The 3HFWC treatment significantly decreased the amyloid-b plaque load in specific parts of cerebral cortex, followed by the unchanged levels of Ab. None of these changes were detected in the hippocampus. At the same time, 3HFWC treatment did not exacerbate the activation of glial cells, nor altered the expression levels of synaptic proteins. The obtained results point to the potential of 3HFWC, when applied in the presymptomatic phase of AD, to interfere with Ab accumulation and amyloid plaque formation without exacerbating the other AD-related pathological processes.