Abstract
The choroid plexus (CP) performs the vital function of producing up to 90% (450–1000 ml/day) of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to nourish and to protect the brain in the CSF suspension. The CP also acts as a selective barrier between blood and CSF to regulate ions and other essential molecules. However, the accumulation of intracellular inclusions called Biondi ring tangles (BRTs) in CP cells of Alzheimer's disease (AD)/aging brains may affect these vital functions of the CP. Statistical analysis of quantitative data on the numbers of CP cells containing BRTs from 54 brains (29 AD and 25 normal control), age range 1–100 years, indicated a significant difference (p<0.00004) between AD and control brains, using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with age as covariate. This study compiled the first set of archives to reveal the distribution pattern of BRTs in the CP of AD brains at various ages. Electron microscopy of negatively stained isolated BRTs revealed that these tangles are made of tightly packed bundles of long filaments with diameter around 10 nm that are morphologically distinct from the more loosely packed/shorter bundles of 6–8 nm amyloid fibrils of neuritic plaques (NPs) and from the 24 nm paired helical filaments of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in AD brain. These data suggest that BRTs may represent a significant and measurable biomarker for AD in addition to NPs and NFTs.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: 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.
