Neurochemical disturbance in a mouse model of Down syndrome

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The present study was designed to evaluate at the levels of neurotransmitters in the mouse brain with Down syndrome (DS) that could provide evidence for neurochemical disturbance in the brain of DS patient. Quantification for the contents of various neurotransmitters and their metabolites in the brain of Ts1Cje, a mouse model of DS using HPLC analysis revealed that catabolisms for dopamine and serotonin were enhanced in the Ts1Cje brain. The disturbed catabolisms in Ts1Cje brain were normalized by methamphetamine treatment. Additionally, high expression of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) was detected in the Ts1Cje brain compared to that in wild-type littermates on an immunohistochemical analysis. These findings would be important for clarification of DS pathophysiology, and COMT is expected as a new therapeutic target for the anomalies of DS brain.