Effects of vitamin C on fibroblasts from sporadic Alzheimer's disease patients.
Several therapies for Alzheimer's Disease (AD) are currently under investigation. Some studies have reported that concentration of vitamins in biological fluids are lower in AD patients compared to control subjects and clinical evidence has shown the therapeutic potential of vitamin C and E in delaying AD progression. However, the molecular mechanism(s) that are engaged upon their administration in the APP metabolism in vitro or in vivo still need clarifying. Here, we investigate the effects of vitamin C supplementation, at physiological concentration, in skin fibroblasts obtained from SAD and FAD patients. This study shows that SAD patients' fibroblasts exhibited the exclusive appearance of C-terminal fragments, derived from APP processing, without giving rise to the beta-amyloid peptide, other than corresponding decreased levels of lysosomal enzymes, such as beta-hexosaminidase, alpha-mannosidase and cathepsins B, L, and D.
Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale e Scienze Biochimiche, Università di Perugia, Via del Giochetto, 06126, Perugia, Italy.
Egidia
E
Costanzi
Sabata
S
Martino
Emanuele
E
Persichetti
Roberto
R
Tiribuzi
Carlo
C
Massini
Giorgio
G
Bernardi
Antonio
A
Orlacchio
Aldo
A
Orlacchio
D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002403:Cathepsins / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D043323:alpha-Mannosidase / Q000378:metabolism; D001619:beta-N-Acetylhexosaminidases / Q000378:metabolism
D043323:alpha-Mannosidase; D001619:beta-N-Acetylhexosaminidases; D002403:Cathepsins; D001205:Ascorbic Acid