Loss of Hippocampal Calretinin and Parvalbumin Interneurons in the 5XFAD Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease

The deposition of amyloid-β peptides in the form of extracellular plaques and neuronal degeneration belong to the hallmark features of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In addition, impaired calcium homeostasis and altered levels in calcium-binding proteins seem to be associated with the disease process. In this study, calretinin- (CR) and parvalbumin- (PV) positive gamma-aminobutyric acid-producing (GABAergic) interneurons were quantified in different hippocampal subfields of 12-month-old wild-type mice, as well as in the transgenic AD mouse models 5XFAD and Tg4-42. While, in comparison with wild-type mice, CR-positive interneurons were mainly reduced in the CA1 and CA2/3 regions in plaque-bearing 5XFAD mice, PV-positive interneurons were reduced in all analyzed subfields including the dentate gyrus. No reduction in CR- and PV-positive interneuron numbers was detected in the non-plaque-forming Tg4-42 mouse, although this model has been previously demonstrated to harbor a massive loss of CA1 pyramidal neurons. These results provide information about hippocampal interneuron numbers in two relevant AD mouse models, suggesting that interneuron loss in this brain region may be related to extracellular amyloid burden.