title: Acetylcholinesterase-rich pyramidal neurons in Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: The distribution of acetylcholinesterase (AChE)-rich pyramidal neurons was studied in the cortices of 7 Alzheimer's Disease (AD) patients and 4 normal-aged subjects. Both groups showed a characteristic distribution of these neurons with the highest density in motor and premotor areas, moderate density in association cortices, and low density in limbic-paralimbic areas. Three areas (Brodmann areas 6,22, and 24) were chosen for quantitative analysis. The number of pyramidal neurons that display an AChE-rich staining pattern was significantly reduced in AD patients. Nerve cell density was not significantly different in adjacent Nissl-stained sections. The density of AChE-rich (cholinergic) fibers was also decreased in all three cortical areas of the AD patients but was not correlated with the number of AChE-rich neurons. Loss of AChE-rich neurons was more pronounced in areas with high counts of tangles. These findings show that layer 3 and 5 pyramidal neurons in AD display a reduction of AChE activity. This phenomenon can not be attributed to the well known loss of cortical neurons or cholinergic innervation in AD.
authors.affiliation: Bullard and Denny-Brown Laboratories, Division of Neuroscience and Behavioral Neurology, Beth Israel Hospital, Boston, MA 02215.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heckers
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Geula
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Mesulam
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000378:metabolism*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016874:Neurofibrillary Tangles / Q000201:enzymology; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology*; D011712:Pyramidal Tracts / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase