Progressive Vascular Abnormalities in the Aging 3xTg-AD Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease

Abstract

Vascular dysfunction and structural abnormalities in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are known to contribute to the progression of the pathology, and studies have tended to ignore the role of the vasculature in AD progression. We utilized the 3xTg-AD mouse model of AD to examine individual cerebral vessels and the cortical vascular network across the lifespan. Our vessel painting approach was used to label the entire cortical vasculature, followed by epifluorescence microscopy. The middle cerebral artery (MCA) tree was assessed with confocal microscopy, and a new method was developed to assess branching patterns as a measure of aging-related changes. We found that vascular remodeling was profoundly altered at 4–6 months of age, when the 3xTg-AD mouse is known to transition to cognitive impairment and Aβ deposition in both sexes. Analysis of vascular features (density, junctions, length) of the MCA territory highlighted sex-dependent differences across the 3xTg-AD mouse lifespan, with no alterations in branching patterns. Our current cerebrovascular angioarchitectural analyses demonstrate progressive alterations in individual cortical vessels, as well as in the vascular network of the cortex. These new findings advance our understanding of brain anatomy and physiology in the 3xTg-AD mouse, while potentially identifying unique diagnostic signatures of AD progression.