title: Fecal transmission of AA amyloidosis in the cheetah contributes to high incidence of disease.
abstract: AA amyloidosis is one of the principal causes of morbidity and mortality in captive cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus), which are in danger of extinction, but little is known about the underlying mechanisms. Given the transmissible characteristics of AA amyloidosis, transmission between captive cheetahs may be a possible mechanism involved in the high incidence of AA amyloidosis. In this study of animals with AA amyloidosis, we found that cheetah feces contained AA amyloid fibrils that were different from those of the liver with regard to molecular weight and shape and had greater transmissibility. The infectious activity of fecal AA amyloid fibrils was reduced or abolished by the protein denaturants 6 M guanidine.HCl and formic acid or by AA immunodepletion. Thus, we propose that feces are a vehicle of transmission that may accelerate AA amyloidosis in captive cheetah populations. These results provide a pathogenesis for AA amyloidosis and suggest possible measures for rescuing cheetahs from extinction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Aging Biology, Institute on Aging and Adaptation, Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-1-1, Asahi, Matsumoto 390-8621, Japan.
authors.forename: Beiru
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Une
authors.forename: Xiaoying
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Jingmin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: FengXia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.forename: Junjie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Jinko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sawashita
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tomozawa
authors.forename: Fuyuki
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kametani
authors.forename: Keiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Higuchi
mesh_terms: D002612:Acinonyx; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000686:Amyloidosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D000818:Animals; D005243:Feces; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011817:Rabbits; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid