Trk receptor alterations in Alzheimer's disease.
The expression of trk receptors in postmortem normal, Huntington's disease and Alzheimer's disease human brains was investigated using immunohistochemistry, in-situ hybridisation and Western blotting. Alzheimer's disease hippocampi displayed an increase in trkA receptor levels in astrocytes in the CA1 region, some of which were associated with beta-amyloid-positive plaques. Truncated trkB receptors were found in high levels in senile plaques, while the full-length receptor was expressed in glial-like cells in the hippocampus of Alzheimer's disease brains. In-situ hybridisation studies indicated that trk receptor mRNA was also elevated in Alzheimer's. The appearance of trkA and trkB receptors in astrocytes and plaques in Alzheimer's disease might be related to beta-amyloid deposition and could be implicated in the development of Alzheimer's disease.
Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
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Connor
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Young
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P
Lawlor
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Gai
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Waldvogel
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Faull
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Dragunow
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D020801:Receptor, Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor; D020917:Receptor, trkA; D020812:Receptor, trkC; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism*
D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D020801:Receptor, Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D020917:Receptor, trkA; D020812:Receptor, trkC