MAPT and Alzheimer disease: Using a human neuroblastoma cell line (SH-SY5Y) and primary cultures of newborn male or female rat cerebral cortical neurons, oestrogen was shown to prevent tau hyperphosphorylation and induce dephosphorylation [95,96] and in female AD transgenic mouse models, hormone replacement following oophorectomy led to reduced tau phosphorylation [84].