Global gene expression change in the cerebellum of Niemann-Pick disease type C mice with deletion of Ccl3 or Purkinje neuron-specific NPC1 rescue. Mus musculus

Macrophage inflammatory protein 1alpha/CCL3 protein is a known pro-inflammatory cytokine that can mediate chemotaxis of monocytes and promote cell degranulation. Ccl3 gene expression is elevated in the CNS and visceral tissue of many lysosomal storage disorders. The deletion of Ccl3 in a mouse model of Sandhoff disease was reported to result in reduced monocyte-associated pathology in the brain, delayed neurodegeneration, and prolonged health. However, deletion of Ccl3 in a mouse model of Niemann-Pick C disease was dentrimental or neutral instead of beneficial. Prevention of neuronal loss was instead mediated by providing NPC1 to neurons. We used microarrays to detail the global change in gene expression of the cerebellum in Niemann-Pick C disease animals, Niemann-Pick C disease animals with Ccl3 gene deletion, and Niemann-Pick C disease animals with Purkinje neuron-specific NPC1-YFP rescue. Overall design: To identify the top ~50 genes elevated in NPC disease Npc1-/- (NPC) and Npc1+/- (WT) mice were compared at age P50; To profile changes in gene expression as a result of Ccl3 gene deletion Ccl3-/-;Npc1-/- mice were compared against Npc1-/- mice across various ages; To profile changes in gene expression as a result of Purkinje neuron-sepcific NPC1 rescue P;N;Npc1-/- mice were compared against Npc1-/- mice across various ages.