3177 Determining mechanisms underlying hippocampal network disruption in early amyloid pathology
Authors: Caccavano Adam , Bozzelli P. Lorenzo , Conant Katherine , Vicini Stefano 
Published: March 2019

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia, and a rapidly growing public health crisis as life expectancy increases. Two hallmark symptoms of the disease are memory impairment and the pathological accumulation of amyloid beta protein. The hippocampus is a brain region critical for the consolidation of new memories, and one of the first regions in which amyloid accumulation is observed. Our lab and others have observed a disruption to hippocampal network activity that is critical for memory consolidation in amyloid-accumulating mice. However, the mechanisms and neuronal micro-circuitry underlying this disruption are under-explored, a critical gap that warrants exploration if we are to understand memory disruption in the disease. In this study we have investigated the hypothesis that a preferential disruption to inhibitory PV neurons and the extracellular matrix that surrounds this cell type underlies downstream network alterations. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: We have employed the 5xFAD mouse model of familial Alzheimer’s disease crossed with transgenic lines that selectively fluoresce in different neuronal sub-types. In a multi-modal approach, we have investigated behavioral, electrophysiological, and biochemical alterations between 3-month-old amyloid-accumulating 5xFAD mice and littermate controls. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: We observe a 35% increase in the incidence of synchronous hippocampal oscillations known as sharp wave ripples (SWRs) in amyloid-accumulating mice versus littermate controls (n = 28, p = 0.01), as well as a 95% increase in the power of slow gamma oscillations (p = 0.002). This hyperexcitability of the hippocampal network is correlated with an impairment in hippocampal-dependent memory, assayed with the Barnes Maze, a behavioral test of spatial memory (172% increase in latency to find escape hole, n = 8, p = 0.01). To elucidate the micro-circuitry that underlies this network disruption, we have investigated the integrity of peri-neuronal nets (PNNs), part of the extracellular matrix of proteins that preferentially ensheathe inhibitory PV neurons and support their function. We observe a 60% decrease in intensity of PNNs (n = 5, p = 0.005), suggesting PNN integrity is impaired in amyloid-accumulating mice. Ongoing experiments into the activity and synaptic input to both inhibitory PV and excitatory pyramidal neurons seek to determine the effects of this PNN disruption on downstream micro-circuitry. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: These findings suggest that a preferential impairment to PNNs and inhibitory PV cells underlie hippocampal hyperexcitability in a mouse model of AD. As hippocampal network activity is critical for memory consolidation, these effects contribute to our understanding of memory disruption during early disease progression, which has been poorly understood to date. These findings provide a foundation for future in vivo studies employing optogenetic stimulation to this neuronal sub-type, to determine if restoring physiological network balance can ameliorate memory decline.