The Effect of Intracerebroventricular Administration of Streptozocin on Cell Proliferation in Subventricular Zone Stem Cells in a Rat Model of Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder with the prevalence of one eighth or about 10% of people older than 65 years old. Aiming to induce progressive dementia and neurodegeneration, intracerebroventricularly (ICV) injection of streptozocin (STZ), a diabetogenic factor, was performed. Since this model leads to behavioral disorders, impaired energy, and glucose utilization, it is an appropriate model for AD. Reduction of the potency of stem cells in the subventricular zone (SVZ), one of the brain neurogenic regions, in AD has been reported. In this study, we examined the effect of ICV administration of STZ on stem cell proliferation in SVZ.
Thirty male Wistar rats were classified into three groups, including control, sham, and STZ. Drug injection (3 mg/kg- ICV) was performed in lateral ventricles in days 1 and 3 after recovery of operation. Finally, after SVZ cell culture, cell proliferation was measured by evaluation of morphology, number, and diameter indexes of neurospheres.
Our study revealed that proliferation indexes, such as diameter and the number of neurosphere, were significantly decreased in the treatment group compared to control and sham groups.
Our data has shown that application of STZ decreases proliferation of stem cells in SVZ of the brain.