Peripheral monocyte-derived cells counter amyloid plaque pathogenesis in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease

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Abstract

Microglia, the parenchymal tissue macrophages in the brain, surround amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) but are ineffective at clearing amyloid to mitigate disease progression. Recent studies in mice indicate that microglia are exclusively derived from primitive yolk-sac hematopoiesis and self-renew without contribution from ontogenically-distinct monocytes/macrophages of definitive ‘adult’ hematopoietic origin. Using genetic fate-mapping to label cells of definitive hematopoietic-origin throughout the life-span, we discovered that circulating monocytes contribute 6% of plaque-associated macrophages in aged AD mice. Moreover, peripheral monocytes contributed to a higher fraction of macrophages in the choroid plexus, meninges and perivascular spaces of aged AD mice versus wild-type controls, indicating enrichment at potential sites for entry into the brain parenchyma. Splenectomy, which markedly reduced circulating Ly6Chi monocytes, also reduced abundance of plaque-associated macrophages of definitive-hematopoietic origin, resulting in increased amyloid plaque load. Together, these results indicate that peripherally-derived monocytes invade the brain parenchyma, targeting amyloid plaques to reduce plaque load.

Authors

Ping Yan, Ki-Wook Kim, Qingli Xiao, Xiucui Ma, Leah R. Czerniewski, Haiyan Liu, David R. Rawnsley, Yan Yan, Gwendalyn J. Randolph, Slava Epelman, Jin-Moo Lee, Abhinav Diwan