The domestic cat as an animal model for age-related neurofibrillary tangles

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The present study revealed that neurofibrillary tangles, one of the hallmark lesions of Alzheimer's disease in humans, are also developed in brains of aged felidae species including the domestic cat. These cats have an altered amino acid sequence in the beta amyloid (a protein involved in the onset of Alzheimer's disease) compared to other mammalian animals such as the dog and the monkey. The deposition pattern of beta amyloid in the cat brains were also different from that of dogs and monkeys. In cats with severe neurofibrillary tangles, the number of neurons in the hippocampus was significantly decreased. In conclusion, the domestic cat is likely to be a useful animal model for studying the pathology of Alzheimer's disease, especially the relation between beta amyloid, tau protein, and neurodegeneration.