Amyloid beta protein deposition in osteopetrotic (op/op) mice is reduced by injections of macrophage colony stimulating factor.
The deposition of amyloid beta (Abeta) protein is a neuropathological change that characterizes Alzheimer's disease. Animals with the osteopetrosis (op/op) mutation suffer from a general skeletal sclerosis, a significantly reduced number of macrophages and osteoclasts in various tissues, and have no systemic macrophage colony stimulating factor (M-CSF). This study examined the effect that M-CSF injections had on Abeta deposition and microglial cell distribution in the brains of normal and op/op mice. Abeta-positive plaques were detected in the cerebral cortex of op/op mice, but not in normal mice. M-CSF reduced the numbers of Abeta-positive plaques in op/op mice. The microglial cell population was reduced in op/op mice compared with normal mice, and M-CSF increased the numbers to 65.8% of that observed in normal mice. Our results suggest that a clearer understanding of the role that microglial cells play in Abeta deposition may help determine the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.
Kawata
T
T
Department of Orthodontics and Craniofacial Developmental Biology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Japan. tenzan@hiroshima-u.ac.jp
Tsutsui
K
K
Kohno
S
S
Kaku
M
M
Fujita
T
T
Tenjou
K
K
Ohtani
J
J
Motokawa
M
M
Shigekawa
M
M
Tohma
Y
Y
Tanne
K
K
D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D007267:Injections; D016173:Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D017628:Microglia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D010022:Osteopetrosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D012016:Reference Values
D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D016173:Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor