Figure 8.

Roscovitine inhibits the cdk5-dependent phosphorylation of tau in LPS-treated 3xTg-AD mice. 3xTg-AD mice were treated with roscovitine (300 nmol per day) or vehicle (50% DMSO) through an intraventricular infusion during the last 2 weeks of the 6 week LPS treatment. The hippocampus was isolated and tested for phosphorylation status of tau by immunoblotting. The steady-state levels of human APP and tau were not altered by roscovitine treatment. Densitometric analysis revealed the steady-state levels of AT8- and AT180-positive tau resulted in nearly a twofold and threefold reduction in roscovitine treatment, respectively, whereas PHF1-positive tau levels were not affected by LPS (data not shown). Membranes were reprobed with β-actin to control the equal protein loading (n = 3 each group).