title: Neurofibrillary tangles in the cerebral cortex of sheep.
abstract: Neurofibrillary degeneration, including neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) and neuritic plaques, is an important pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Unfortunately, no practical animal model of neurofibrillary degeneration has been described. We report here the presence of structures in the cerebral cortex of sheep, Ovis aries, that resemble Alzheimer NFTs and neuritic plaques. NFT-like structures and clusters of degenerating neurites are stained by silver impregnation and thioflavin-S, and are immunoreactive with antibodies against tau microtubule-associated proteins. Viewed under the electron microscope, tau-immunoreactive tangles consist of paired helical filaments. Naturally occurring neurofibrillary structures in sheep cortex provide a model for studying the pathobiology of Alzheimer's disease.
authors.affiliation: Brain Research Institute, University of Chicago, IL 60637.
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Greenberg
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Saper
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D052160:Benzothiazoles; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000187:drug effects; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D016874:Neurofibrillary Tangles / Q000473:pathology*; D009454:Neurofibrils / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012756:Sheep; D016622:Silver Staining; D013844:Thiazoles; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C056167:Alzheimer's disease antigen; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000941:Antigens; D052160:Benzothiazoles; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D013844:Thiazoles; D016875:tau Proteins; C009462:thioflavin T