Histochemical localization of glycoconjugates on microglial cells in Alzheimer's disease brain samples by using Abrus precatorius, Maackia amurensis, Momordica charantia, and Sambucus nigra lectins.

Abstract

Four lectins (Abrus precatorius (APA), Maackia amurensis (MAA), Momordica charantia (MCA) and Sambucus nigra (SNA)) have been used to identify glycohistochemically the microglial cells (MGC) activation in autoptic brain samples from Alzheimer's disease (AD) subjects. Three of these lectins (APA, MAA and MCA) have utilized as microglial cell markers for the first time. The identification of new markers for the study of MGC is very important to better understand the role of these type of cells in the metabolic/dismetabolic control of betaA4 in AD which still represents a vexata questio.