Fig. 3
APP processing is altered in pregnant 5xFAD mice during pregnancy. a Schematic overview of the experimental setup. Twelve weeks old 5xFAD female mice were bred and sacrificed at gestation day 18. b Immunoblot analysis of hippocampal brain homogenates from pregnant and non-pregnant 5xFAD mice at G18. Immunoblots were probed with antibodies that recognize human full length APP, CTF-β and CTFα (6687) and Aβ (6E10). β-Actin was used as loading control. Pregnant 5xFAD mice showed higher levels of CTF-β and Aβ while APP levels were unaltered. c Serum estrogen levels of 5xFAD and WT female mice were measured by ELISA at G0, G5, G10 and G18. Estrogen levels increased during pregnancy in 5xFAD and WT mice (***P < 0.0001, ***P < 0.0001; ***P < 0.0001). d Serum progesterone levels of female 5xFAD and WT mice were measured by ELISA at G0, G5, G10 and G18. Progesterone levels increased significantly during pregnancy in 5xFAD and WT mice (*P = 0.03; ***P < 0.0001; ***P < 0.0001). e Levels of IDE and neprilysin were detected by western blotting in pregnant and non-pregnant 5xFAD mice. β-Actin was used as loading control. Data are presented as mean ± S.D. Three mice per group were used. G = gestation day, IDE = insulin-degrading-enzyme