Behavioural Neurology (Jan 2018)

Ceftriaxone Treatment for Neuronal Deficits: A Histological and MEMRI Study in a Rat Model of Dementia with Lewy Bodies

  • Ying-Jui Ho,
  • Jun-Cheng Weng,
  • Chih-Li Lin,
  • Mei-Shiuan Shen,
  • Hsin-Hua Li,
  • Wen-Chieh Liao,
  • Nu-Man Tsai,
  • Ching-Sui Hung,
  • Te-Jen Lai,
  • I-Yen Lee

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/4618716
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 2018

Abstract

Read online

Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is characterized by neuronal deficits and α-synuclein inclusions in the brain. Ceftriaxone (CEF), a β-lactam antibiotic, has been suggested as a therapeutic agent in several neurodegenerative disorders for its abilities to counteract glutamate-mediated toxicity and to block α-synuclein polymerization. By using manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI) and immunohistochemistry, we measured the effects of CEF on neuronal activity and α-synuclein accumulation in the brain in a DLB rat model. The data showed that CEF corrected neuronal density and activity in the hippocampal CA1 area, suppressed hyperactivity in the subthalamic nucleus, and reduced α-synuclein accumulation, indicating that CEF is a potential agent in the treatment of DLB.