title: Expression of alpha-synuclein, the precursor of non-amyloid beta component of Alzheimer's disease amyloid, in human cerebral blood vessels.
abstract: The non-amyloid beta component of Alzheimer's disease amyloid (NAC) is detected in cerebral amyloid angiopathy; and the precursor of NAC is now known to be identical to alpha-synuclein (alpha-S), a major component of Lewy bodies in Parkinson's disease. We studied if cerebral vascular cells express alpha-S. Immunohistochemical studies of human cerebral tissues from control and cerebral amyloid angiopathy patients revealed the expression of alpha-S in vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells. Then we studied the expression of alpha-S in vitro using cultures of vascular cells. Cultures of human umbilical vein endothelial cells and umbilical artery smooth muscle cells were found to constitutively express alpha-S messenger RNA and protein. alpha-S is normally expressed in vascular cells and may play some physiological role in the vascular wall.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Biology, Institute of Brain Science, Hirosaki University School of Medicine, Hirosaki 036-8562, Japan.
authors.forename: Wakako
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tamo
authors.forename: Tadaatsu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Imaizumi
authors.forename: Kunikazu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanji
authors.forename: Hidemi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Fumiaki
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshimoto
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Ikuo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wakabayashi
authors.forename: Kei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Satoh
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism; D001344:Autopsy; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015153:Blotting, Western; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D016657:Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D051843:Synucleins; D013997:Time Factors; D051844:alpha-Synuclein
chemical_list: D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C497604:SNCA protein, human; D051843:Synucleins; D051844:alpha-Synuclein; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide