title: Fibrillary beta-amyloid deposits are closely associated with atrophic nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-expressing neurons but do not upregulate the inducible NOS in transgenic Tg2576 mouse brain with Alzheimer pathology.
abstract: Transgenic mice (Tg2576) that express the Swedish double mutation of human amyloid precursor protein and develop Alzheimer-like beta-amyloid deposits in the aged brain, were used to study the effect of beta-amyloid deposition on expression of both neuronal (nNOS) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in cells surrounding beta-amyloid plaques. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase histochemistry and double immunofluorescent labeling revealed that most of the fibrillary, thioflavine-S-positive cortical beta-amyloid deposits in 13-, 17-, and 21-month-old transgenic animals were closely associated with dystrophic nNOS-positive neurons, while nNOS-bearing neurons located more distal to plaques appeared to be unaffected. There was no significant expression of iNOS in transgenic mouse brain. The data suggest enhanced vulnerability of nNOS-containing neocortical neurons to beta-amyloid toxicity. Alternatively, expression of nNOS may also be a response to plaque-mediated damage of neurons, consistent with a neuroprotective role of nitric oxide.
authors: Paul Flechsig Institute for Brain Research, Department of Neurochemistry, University of Leipzig, Jahnallee 59, D-04109, Leipzig, Germany.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Hartlage-Rübsamen
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Apelt
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Schliebs
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001284:Atrophy / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism; D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism*; D058225:Plaque, Amyloid / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase