title: Electron transport chain defects in Alzheimer's disease brain.
abstract: Previous work suggested a deficiency in the terminal complex of the mitochondrial electron transport chain, cytochrome c oxidase (COX), in platelet mitochondria of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. The present study extends this observation to AD brain mitochondria through assay of electron transport chain activities in mitochondria isolated from autopsied brain samples from AD patients (n = 9) and from controls with and without known neurologic disease (n = 8). AD brain mitochondria demonstrated a generalized depression of activity of all electron transport chain complexes. This depression was most marked in COX activity (p < 0.001). Concentrations of cytochromes b, c1, and aa3 were similar in AD and controls. The electron transport chain is defective in AD brain, and the defect centers about COX.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver.
authors.forename: W D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Parks
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Filley
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Kleinschmidt-DeMasters
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D004579:Electron Transport; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV