Differences in Brain Structural and Metabolic Phenotype in Mouse Models of Down Syndrome and Brain Tumors

Gliomas are exceedingly rare in Down Syndrome (DS). This study characterizes metabolic biomarkers and structural differences in the brains of mouse DS models and compare them to glioma models. Analysis of the age-dependent differences in the metabolic profile was carried out by 1H-NMR metabolomics and compartmental brain volumes of mouse brains were assessed from T2-weighted MRI. A significant age-dependent neuronal loss in the cortex and hippocampus, with a hyperventricular profile, was observed in DS mice. Highly decreased lactate and amino acid concentrations were observed in DS, in contrast to glioma extracts, indicative of decreased metabolic dependency on glycolysis and proteolysis.