title: Transthyretin accelerates vascular Abeta deposition in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: Transthyretin (TTR) binds amyloid-beta (Abeta) and prevents Abeta fibril formation in vitro. It was reported that the lack of neurodegeneration in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD) (Tg2576 mouse) was associated with increased TTR level in the hippocampus, and that chronic infusion of anti-TTR antibody into the hippocampus of Tg2576 mice led to increased local Abeta deposits, tau hyperphosphorylation and apoptosis. TTR is, therefore, speculated to prevent Abeta pathology in AD. However, a role for TTR in Abeta deposition is not yet known. To investigate the relationship between TTR and Abeta deposition, we generated a mouse line carrying a null mutation at the endogenous TTR locus and the human mutant amyloid precursor protein cDNA responsible for familial AD (Tg2576/TTR(-/-) mouse) by crossing Tg2576 mice with TTR-deficient mice. We asked whether Abeta deposition was accelerated in Tg2576/TTR(-/-) mice relative to the heterozygous mutant Tg2576 (Tg2576/TTR(+/-)) mice. Contrary to our expectations, the degree of total and vascular Abeta burdens in the aged Tg2576/TTR(-/-) mice was significantly reduced relative to the age-matched Tg2576/TTR(+/-) mice. Our experiments present, for the first time, compelling evidence that TTR does not suppress but rather accelerates vascular Abeta deposition in the mouse model of AD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, University of Yamanashi, Chuo, Yamanashi 409-3898, Japan.
authors.forename: Henny
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wati
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawarabayashi
authors.forename: Etsuro
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Matsubara
authors.forename: Ayumi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kasai
authors.forename: Takae
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirasawa
authors.forename: Takeo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Harigaya
authors.forename: Mikio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shoji
authors.forename: Shuichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maeda
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006579:Heterozygote; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000378:metabolism; D058225:Plaque, Amyloid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011228:Prealbumin / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011228:Prealbumin