Muscle trophism after testosterone treatment in the Wobbler mouse, an spontaneous model for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

MEYER M; JURE IGNACIO; DE NICOLA AF; ESPERANTE IVAN; GARAY L; LIMA A; GONZALEZ DENISELLE, MC; LARA AGUSTINA; DE NICOLA FEDERICO; ROIG P

Congreso; Reunion Anual de la SAIC SAFE SAB SAP; 2019

Patients suffering amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) present muscle atrophy in upper and lower limbs and difficulties in swallowing and dysarthria in association to motoneuron degeneration. Wobblers mice (WR) are animal models of ALS showing selective loss of motoneurons, astrocytosis and microgliosis in the ventral horn of the cervical spinal cord. The incidence of ALS is greater in men than in women, however it increases after menopause. Previously we demonstrated that testosterone treatment to WRs reduced astrocytosis and increased glutamine synthetase immunoreactivity, an enzyme necessary for maintaining glutamate concentration in synaptic cleft. Now, we investigated the effect of testosterone treatment on myelination and muscle trophism. Treatment consisted of 10mm silastic tubes containing crystalline testosterone s.c. for 2 months to male symptomatic WRs. Testosterone serum levels and seminal vesicles weight were higher in WRs+testosterone vs WRs (p