Differential expression of alpha 1-antichymotrypsin in the aged human brain.
The localization of alpha 1-antichymotrypsin (ACT) mRNA and ACT immunoreactivity (ACT-IR) were examined in 12 brains obtained at post-mortem from elderly patients, four of whom had Alzheimer's disease. A biotinylated oligonucleotide probe was used for in situ hybridization histochemistry and the relationship between the expression of both ACT mRNA and ACT-IR and the extent of beta protein or tau deposition were investigated. The extent of beta-plaques, tau-tangles, and ACT-IR were rated from (-) to (++). In brains without plaques and tangles, there were no detectable ACT mRNA signals in the gray matter, and those in the white matter were weak; in these brains, ACT-IR was generally weak. The brains with beta-plaques but no tangles showed weak ACT mRNA expression in astrocytes of both the gray and white matter; they also showed weak ACT-IR in the astrocytes. In the brains from patients with Alzheimer's disease with both plaques and tangles, ACT mRNA was expressed intensely in a majority of the astrocytes in the white and gray matter. Some senile plaques-associated astrocytes expressed ACT mRNA and ACT-IR was strong in the white matter astrocytes. ACT-IR and ACT mRNA expression in astrocytes was correlated with the extent of beta and tau depositions.
Ishiguro
K
K
Department of Neurology, Gunma University School of Medicine, Japan.
Shoji
M
M
Yamaguchi
H
H
Matsubara
E
E
Ikeda
M
M
Kawarabayashi
T
T
Harigaya
Y
Y
Okamoto
K
K
Hirai
S
S
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000032:analysis; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000737:chemistry; D001710:Biotin; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D015342:DNA Probes / Q000138:chemical synthesis; D016373:DNA, Antisense; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D000514:alpha 1-Antichymotrypsin / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics*; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000032:analysis
D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D015342:DNA Probes; D016373:DNA, Antisense; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000514:alpha 1-Antichymotrypsin; D016875:tau Proteins; D001710:Biotin