Distribution of amyloid deposits in the cerebral white matter of the Alzheimer's disease brain: relationship to blood vessels.
The relationship between blood vessels and amyloid beta (A beta)-protein deposits in the cortex of the Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain is still controversial. It is difficult to distinguish whether the A beta deposits are associated with blood vessels or neurons because of their widespread and complicated distribution. In this study, we investigated the distribution of A beta deposits in the cerebral white matter of the AD brain as a means of removing the bias of neuronal distribution. An immunohistochemical study of 100 serial sections, after pretreatment with formic acid for 24 h, revealed the presence of A beta deposits in the cerebral white matter of the AD brain. There are various morphological types of plaques containing A beta deposits in the white matter, the same as in the gray matter. While the majority of A beta deposits was of a circumscribed type such as "classic" and "primitive" plaques, "compact" and "diffuse" plaques were also observed in the white matter. The location of the A beta deposits was, for the most part, immediately beneath the gray matter. The distribution of A beta deposits in the white matter was found to correspond to the orientation of the blood vessels. Serial sections also revealed that these A beta deposits were distributed along a single blood vessel. These findings suggest that the deposition of A beta in the cerebral white matter is primarily related to the blood vessels.
Iwamoto
N
N
Department of Psychiatry, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Saitama, Japan.
Nishiyama
E
E
Ohwada
J
J
Arai
H
H
D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D000686:Amyloidosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology*; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D013194:Staining and Labeling
D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides