Abstract
As reported before, the metabolic activity of nucleus basalis neurons is reduced significantly in Alzheimer patients. Because the apolipoprotein E (ApoE) epsilon4 genotype is a major risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD), we determined whether the decrease in metabolic activity in nucleus basalis neurons in AD is ApoE-type dependent. The size of the Golgi apparatus (GA) was determined as a measure of neuronal metabolic activity in 30 controls and 41 AD patients with a known ApoE genotype by using an image analysis system in the nucleus basalis of Meynert. A polyclonal antibody directed against MG-160, a sialoglycoprotein of the GA, was used to visualize this organelle. There was a very strong reduction in the size of the GA in the nucleus basalis of AD patients. Furthermore, a strong and significant extra reduction in the size of the GA was found in the nucleus basalis neurons of AD patients with either one or two ApoE epsilon4 alleles compared with Alzheimer patients without ApoE epsilon4 alleles. Our data show that the decreased activity of nucleus basalis neurons in AD is ApoE epsilon4 dependent and suggest that ApoE epsilon4 participates in the pathogenesis of AD by decreasing neuronal metabolism.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
More From: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.