Evidence for induction of localized amyloid deposits and neuritic plaques by an infectious agent.
Mice inoculated intracerebrally with mouse brain homogenate infected with a particular strain of scrapie agent developed amyloid and neuritic plaques and amyloid tubercles along the injection track, solid wall-like infiltrations at the injection site, or both. Our observations implicate an infections agent in the localized formation of the amyloid and the neuritic plaque--the leading pathological change found in normal elderly people and animals and in patients with senile dementia of the Alzheimer type. Further, these studies indicate that microglia appear to play a central role in the pathogenesis of amyloid formation and could be involved in the processing, production, and assembly of the fibers.
D000686:Amyloidosis / Q000473:pathology*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009115:Muridae; D009410:Nerve Degeneration; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009454:Neurofibrils / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009474:Neurons / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010586:Phagocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012608:Scrapie / Q000473:pathology*; D012756:Sheep