Thiamine deficiency experimental models focus on using the pyrithiamine analog in male rodents, making the thiamine deficiency effects in females and the use of other thiamine antagonists, such as amprolium, unknown. We investigated the impact of thiamine deficiency with amprolium in the cerebral cortex and thalamus of male and female mice by evaluating the modulation of ERK1/2 phosphorylation. The animals were exposed for 20 days to thiamine-deficient chow with different doses of amprolium (20, 40, 60 and 80 mg/kg) and at different treatment periods (five, 10, 15 or 20 days) at a dose of 60 mg/kg. After treatments, ERK1/2 phosphorylation was analyzed by western blot. In male mice, we observed a progressive increase in ERK1/2 phosphorylation in both the cerebral cortex and thalamus in response to the dose of amprolium. In females, ERK1/2 phosphorylation did not progressively increase in response to the amprolium dosage. However, an increase in phosphorylation at the higher doses of 60 and 80 mg/kg was observed. We observed a more intense increase in ERK1/2 phosphorylation in males' cerebral cortex and thalamus from 10 days onwards. In females, the ERK1/2 modulation profiles were similar. The results show that thiamine deficiency induction with amprolium is efficient, compatible with other recognized models that use pyrithiamine, showing changes in cell signaling in the nervous system. The study showed differences in response to thiamine deficiency with amprolium between male and female mice in relation to ERK1/2 phosphorylation and demonstrated that females respond positively to the method and can also be used as model animals.
Keywords: Cell signaling; MAPK; neurodegeneration; sex differences.