title: Increased activity of mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) in the putamen of individuals with Alzheimer's disease: a human postmortem study.
abstract: For decades, it has been acknowledged that oxidative stress due to free radical species contributes to the pathophysiology of aging and neurodegenerative diseases. Aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDH) not only transform aldehydes to acids but also act as antioxidant enzymes. However, little is known about the implications of the enzymatic family of ALDH in the context of neurodegenerative processes such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). We therefore examined the enzymatic activity of the mitochondrial ALDH-isoform in different regions of the postmortem brain tissue isolated from patients with AD and controls. We found that the mitochondrial ALDH activity was significantly increased only in the putamen of patients suffering from AD compared to controls. This is of particular interest since mediators of oxidative stress, such as iron, are increased in the putamen of patients with AD. This study adds to the body of evidence that suggests that oxidative stress as well as aldehyde toxicity play a role in AD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany. tmichel@ukaachen
authors.forename: Tanja Maria
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Michel
authors.forename: Wieland
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gsell
authors.forename: Ludwig
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Käsbauer
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tatschner
authors.forename: Abigail Jane
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Sheldrick
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Neuner
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Edna
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grünblatt
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Riederer
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism*; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008297:Male; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000201:enzymology*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011699:Putamen / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species
chemical_list: D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase