Figure 10

Western blot analysis of phosphorylated and total tau. Densitometric analysis showed a significant reduction in soluble (S1 fraction) CP13 phospho-tau levels (*p = 0.035) when normalized to actin, in the 11–18 month study group ( A , B ). Additional analysis indicated a trend for a decrease in PHF1 reactive tau in the same treatment group (p = 0.07) (data not shown). No statistically significant changes were observed in Western blot analysis of DEA soluble brain fraction, but there was a notable trend in reduction of PHF1 (p = 0.086) ( C , D ) and CP13 DEA soluble tau levels (data not shown) in CpG ODN-treated mice in the 11–18 month study group. The groups did not differ significantly in their levels of insoluble (FA brain fraction) CP13 or PHF1 tau; however, there was a trend for reduced insoluble PHF1 tau levels in the CpG ODN-treated animals compared to controls in the 7–20 month study group (p = 0.08) ( E , F ). Furthermore, no differences in total tau assessed by CP27 were detected between our treated and control 3xTg-AD animals. Total tau levels were not affected by CpG ODN treatment in both study groups ( G , H ). G shows representative western blot from control and CpG ODN mice treated from 7 to 20 months. The same amount of protein was loaded in each lane of the Western blots.