The APP/PS1 mouse is an animal model of accelerated ageing, which is used in research of age-related neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. Zn supplementation is being studied to slow down or even stop the development of age-related neurodegenerative pathologies, as Zn is an essential element that plays an important role in several biological functions, including the regulation of cell signalling and protection against inflammation and oxidative stress.

In recent years, changes in the isotopic composition of biological fluids and tissues have provided valuable information about biochemical processes of diseases and may serve as potential diagnostic biomarkers [1,2]. The metabolism of Zn is closely linked to Cu; in fact, it is plausible that there is an antagonism between Cu and Zn absorption. Therefore, there is a clear need to rigorously evaluate the long-term effect of Zn supplementation, since an imbalance in Cu or in other elements metabolism could condition the appearance of certain pathologies.

In this context, and using a model of Alzheimer's disease (the APP/PS1 double transgenic mouse) and the control strain we are studying the effect of animal Zn supplementation (through feeding) on the liver tissue by means of total elemental analysis (Cu, Zn, Mg) by ICP-MS, and of potential changes in the Cu, Zn and Mg isotopic composition by multicollector (MC)-ICP-MS after the proper isolation of the elements from the liver samples.

[1] L. Lobo, M. Costas-Rodríguez, J.C. de Vicente, R. Pereiro, F. Vanhaecke, A. Sanz-Medel, Talanta, 2017, 165, 92-97.

[2] M. Aranaz, M. Costas-Rodríguez, L. Lobo, H. González-Iglesias, F. Vanhaecke, R. Pereiro, J. Pharmaceut. Biomed., 2020, 177, 112857.

Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported through project PID2022-137319OB-C21 (Ministerio de Ciencia e Inovación, España). M. Marina-Latorre acknowledges a grant from “Severo Ochoa Program” with Ref. PA-23-BP22-183 funded by Principality of Asturias (Spain).