Quantitative neuronal c-fos and c-jun expression in Alzheimer's disease.
Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, has been proposed as a mechanism of neuropathology in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Activation of immediate early genes (IEG) c-jun and c-fos appears to be required for the initiation of apoptosis. Furthermore, the expression of c-jun is induced in cultured neurons that undergo beta-amyloid-mediated apoptosis suggesting a direct role for c-jun in the apoptosis of AD neurons. Using immunohistochemical methods, we calculated the average number of neuronal profiles per unit area expressing c-Jun and c-Fos within hippocampal regions CA1, CA2/3, and CA4 in postmortem brain samples from AD patients and age-matched non-AD patients. There was an increase in c-Jun-positive and c-Fos-positive neuronal profile density in nearly all AD hippocampal regions examined. In cerebellum there was no evidence of apoptosis as determined by using TUNEL technique, and negligible c-Jun labeling.
Marcus
D L
DL
Department of Medicine, New York University Medical Center, NY 10016, USA.
Strafaci
J A
JA
Miller
D C
DC
Masia
S
S
Thomas
C G
CG
Rosman
J
J
Hussain
S
S
Freedman
M L
ML
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D017209:Apoptosis; D002452:Cell Count; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D005260:Female; D017781:Genes, Immediate-Early / Q000502:physiology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun