Trace elements monitored with neutron activation analysis during neurodegeneration in brains of mutant mice

Our objective was to test the efficacy of neutron activation analysis (NAA) for monitoring trace elements in discrete brain regions of wild-type and mutant mice (weaver) with well-documented spatiotemporal patterns of neuronal loss in the cerebellum. As neuronal degradation is accompanied by upregulation of metalloenzymatic activity, we used NAA to detect any transient elevation in elemental composition of brain tissue. Zinc and copper concentrations in the cerebellum of weaver mice aged 5 days greatly exceed levels observed in normal mice or in the weaver's forebrain, which is unaffected by neurodegeneration. Furthermore, concentrations of copper and zinc follow the spatiotemporal pattern of neurodegeneration observed in the cerebellum of weaver mutant mice. (author)