title: A beta vasoactivity: an inflammatory reaction.
abstract: Mounting evidence from in vitro and in vivo studies in transgenic mice overproducing beta-amyloid peptides (A beta) suggests that A beta can induce vasoconstriction and decrease cerebral blood flow. In this report, we describe the vasoactive properties of A beta, in particular the enhancement of endothelin-1-induced vasoconstriction and A beta's induction of a long-lasting vasoconstrictive event. Furthermore, we show that low doses (as low as 50 nM) of freshly solubilized A beta similar to those observed in the plasma of patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease are vasoactive. By using various inhibitors and activators of the phospholipase A2 (PLA2)/arachidonic acid (AA) cascade, we demonstrate that A beta vasoactivity is dependent on activation of this intracellular signaling pathway, resulting in stimulation of downstream cyclooxygenase-2 and 5-lipoxygenase, which mediate production of proinflammatory eicosanoids. Taken together, our data show that A beta directly activates an intracellular proinflammatory pathway, which is responsible for its vasoactive properties.
authors.affiliation: Roskamp Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa 33613, USA.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Paris
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Town
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Humphrey
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mullan
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000503:physiopathology; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000502:physiology; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007249:Inflammation; D016859:Lipoxygenase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects*; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors; D019332:Endothelin-1; D016859:Lipoxygenase Inhibitors; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C078592:amyloid beta-protein (1-40); C075222:amyloid beta-protein (1-42)