Effects of a Copper-Deficient Diet on the Biochemistry, Neural Morphology and Behavior of Aged Mice

作者：Bolognin Silvia; Pasqualetto Federica; Mucignat Caretta Carla; Scancar Janez; Milacic Radmila; Zambenedetti Pamela; Cozzi Bruno^*; Zatta Paolo

来源：PLos One, 2012, 7(10): e47063.

DOI：10.1371/journal.pone.0047063

Copper dyshomeostasis has been suggested as an aetiological risk factor for some neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer%26apos;s disease. However, the precise mechanism at the base of this involvement is still obscure. In this work, we show the effects of a copper-deficient diet in aged CD1 mice and the influence of such a diet on: a) the concentration of various metal ions (aluminium, copper, iron, calcium, zinc) in the main organs and in different brain areas; b) the alteration of metallothioneins I-II and tyrosine hydroxylase immunopositivity in the brain; c) behavioural tests (open field, pole, predatory aggression, and habituation/dishabituation smell tests). Our data suggested that the copper-deficiency was able to produce a sort of %26quot;domino effect%26quot; which altered the concentration of the other tested metal ions in the main organs as well as in the brain, without, however, significantly affecting the animal behaviour.