title: A hypothesis concerning the role of endogenous colchicine-like factors in the etiology of Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: A hypothesis concerning the etiology of Alzheimer's disease is presented. It is argued that the formation of neurofibrillary tangles, paired helical filaments and senile plaques result from an increase in the activity of endogenous colchicine-like factors. The consequences of such an increase are 1) a blockade of axonal transport, 2) an accumulation of neurofilaments in the cytoplasm of neurons and 3) a redistribution of lysosomes from the cell bodies of neurons to the dendrites. In the absence of cytoplasmic lysosomal enzymes, the accumulated neurofilaments are cross-linked and metabolically stabilized by enzymes in the cell body. Neurons laden with neurofibrillary tangles and dendritic lysosomes would be prone to lysis and could participate in the formation of senile plaques.
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000209:etiology*; D001370:Axonal Transport / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D003078:Colchicine / Q000378:metabolism*; D003712:Dendrites / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000473:pathology; D009454:Neurofibrils / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D003078:Colchicine