The neuritic plaque in Alzheimer's disease: perivascular degeneration of neuronal processes.

Cerebrovascular pathology is common in aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD). The microvasculature is particularly vulnerable, with capillary-level microhemorrhages coinciding with amyloid beta deposits in senile plaques. In the current analysis, we assessed the relationship between cerebral microvessels and the neuritic component of the plaque in cortical and hippocampal 50- to 200-µm sections from 11 AD, 3 Down syndrome, and 7 nondemented cases in neuritic disease stages 0-VI. We report that 77%-97% of neuritic plaques are perivascular, independently of disease stage or dementia diagnosis. Within neuritic plaques, dystrophic hyperphosphorylated tau-positive neurites appear as clusters of punctate, bulbous, and thread-like structures focused around capillaries and colocalize with iron deposits characteristic of microhemorrhage. Microvessels within the neuritic plaque are narrowed by 1.0 ± 1.0 µm-4.4 ± 2.0 µm, a difference of 16%-65% compared to blood vessel segments with diameters 7.9 ± 2.0-6.4 ± 0.8 µm (p < 0.01) outside the plaque domain. The reduced capacity of microvessels within plaques, frequently below patency, likely compromises normal microlocal cerebrovascular perfusion. These data link the neuritic and amyloid beta components of the plaque directly to microvascular degeneration. Strategies focused on cerebrovascular antecedents to neuritic dystrophy in AD have immediate potential for prevention, detection, and therapeutic intervention.

Evidence for encephalopsin immunoreactivity in interneurones and striosomes of the monkey striatum.

In this study, we examined the cellular distribution of encephalopsin (opsin 3; OPN3) expression in the striatum of non-human primates. In addition, because of our long standing interest in Parkinson's disease and neuroprotection, we examined whether parkinsonian (MPTP; 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine) insult and/or photobiomodulation (670 nm) had any impact on encephalopsin expression in this key area of the basal ganglia. Striatal sections of control naïve monkeys, together with those that were either MPTP- and/or photobiomodulation-treated were processed for immunohistochemistry. Our results revealed two populations of striatal interneurones that expressed encephalopsin, one of which was the giant, choline acetyltransferase-containing, cholinergic interneurones. The other population had smaller somata and was not cholinergic. Neither cell group expressed the calcium-binding protein, parvalbumin. There was also rich encephalopsin expression in a set of terminals forming striosome-like patches across the striatum. Finally, we found that neither parkinsonian (MPTP) insult nor photobiomodulation had any effect on encephalopsin expression in the striatum. In summary, our results revealed an extensive network of encephalopsin containing structures throughout the striatum, indicating that external light is in a position to influence a range of striatal activities at both the interneurone and striosome level.

Cofilin rods and aggregates concur with tau pathology and the development of Alzheimer's disease.

BACKGROUND: Imaging of human brain as well as cellular and animal models has highlighted a role for the actin cytoskeleton in the development of cell pathology in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Rods and aggregates of the actin-associated protein cofilin are abundant in grey matter of postmortem AD brain and rods are found inside neurites in animal and cell models of AD. OBJECTIVE: We sought further understanding of the significance of cofilin rods/aggregates to the disease process: Do rods/aggregates correlate with AD progression and the development of hallmark neurofibrillary tangles and neuropil threads? Are cofilin rods/aggregates found in the same neurites as hyperphosphorylated tau? METHODS: The specificity of rods/aggregates to AD compared with general aging and their spatial relationship to tau protein was examined in postmortem human hippocampus, inferior temporal cortex, and anterior cingulate cortex. RESULTS: The presence of cofilin rods/aggregates correlated with the extent of tau pathology independent of patient age. Densities of rods/aggregates were fourfold greater in AD compared with aged-matched control brains and rods/aggregates were significantly larger in AD brain. We did not find evidence for our hypothesis that intracellular cofilin rods are localized to tau-positive neuropil threads. Instead, data suggest the involvement of microglia in the clearance of cofilin rods/aggregates and/or in their synthesis in and around amyloid plaques and surrounding neuropil. CONCLUSION: Cofilin rods and aggregates signify events initiated early in the pathological cascade. Further definition of the mechanisms leading to their formation in the human brain will provide insights into the cellular causes of AD.

Expression of tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase and production of kynurenine pathway metabolites in triple transgenic mice and human Alzheimer's disease brain.

To assess the role of the kynurenine pathway in the pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the expression and localization of key components of the kynurenine pathway including the key regulatory enzyme tryptophan 2,3 dioxygenase (TDO), and the metabolites tryptophan, kynurenine, kynurenic acid, quinolinic acid and picolinic acid were assessed in different brain regions of triple transgenic AD mice. The expression and cell distribution of TDO and quinolinic acid, and their co-localization with neurofibrillary tangles and senile ß amyloid deposition were also determined in hippocampal sections from human AD brains. The expression of TDO mRNA was significantly increased in the cerebellum of AD mouse brain. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that the density of TDO immuno-positive cells was significantly higher in the AD mice. The production of the excitotoxin quinolinic acid strongly increased in the hippocampus in a progressive and age-dependent manner in AD mice. Significantly higher TDO and indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase 1 immunoreactivity was observed in the hippocampus of AD patients. Furthermore, TDO co-localizes with quinolinic acid, neurofibrillary tangles-tau and amyloid deposits in the hippocampus of AD. These results show that the kynurenine pathway is over-activated in AD mice. This is the first report demonstrating that TDO is highly expressed in the brains of AD mice and in AD patients, suggesting that TDO-mediated activation of the kynurenine pathway could be involved in neurofibrillary tangles formation and associated with senile plaque. Our study adds to the evidence that the kynurenine pathway may play important roles in the neurodegenerative processes of AD.

Differential effects of TGF-ß and FGF-2 on in vitro proliferation and migration of primate retinal endothelial and Müller cells.

PURPOSE: During retinal development, the pattern of blood vessel formation depends upon the combined effects of proliferation and migration of endothelial cells, astrocytes and Müller cells. In this study, we investigated the potential for transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) to influence this process by regulating proliferation and migration of retinal endothelial and macroglial cells. METHODS: We assessed the effects of exogenous TGF-ß and FGF-2 on the proliferation and migration of cultured endothelial (RF/6A) and Müller cell (MIO-M1) lines. Cell proliferation was measured using a MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) colorimetric assay over 72 hr. Cell migration was measured using a scratch-wound assay over 72 hr. RESULTS: Transforming growth factor-ß inhibited the proliferation of endothelial and Müller cells and inhibited the migration of Müller cells, but not endothelial cells, compared to untreated controls. Conversely, FGF-2 increased endothelial cell proliferation but inhibited endothelial cell migration. Fibroblast growth factor-2 increased migration of Müller cells but had little effect on proliferation except at higher concentrations (20 ng/ml). CONCLUSION: Taken together, these observations indicate that TGF-ß and FGF could work in concert to inhibit endothelial cell proliferation and migration, respectively; this may have implications for establishing and maintaining the avascular zone of primate fovea.

Electroconvulsive therapy-induced persistent retrograde amnesia: could it be minimised by ketamine or other pharmacological approaches?

BACKGROUND: Certain pharmacological agents administered during electroconvulsive therapy may have the potential to prevent persistent retrograde amnesia induced during electroconvulsive therapy. This review examines mechanisms for electroconvulsive therapy-induced retrograde amnesia, and evaluates the suitability of the anaesthetic ketamine for preventing this amnestic outcome. METHODS: A review of human studies, animal models and theoretical models in light of memory dysfunction following electroconvulsive therapy was conducted. MEDLINE was searched from 1950 to April 2009 using the MeSH terms "electroconvulsive therapy", "memory", "memory short term", "memory disorders", "excitatory amino acid antagonists", and "ketamine". PREMEDLINE was searched using the terms "electroconvulsive therapy", "amnesia" and "ketamine". Additional keyword and reference list searches were performed. No language, date constraints or article type constraints were used. RESULTS: Disruption of long term potentiation as a mechanism for electroconvulsive therapy-induced retrograde amnesia is well supported. Based on this putative mechanism, an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist would appear suitable for preventing the retrograde amnesia. Available evidence in animals and humans supports the prediction that ketamine, an anaesthetic agent and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, could effectively prevent electroconvulsive therapy-induced persistent retrograde amnesia. Whilst there are concerns about the use of ketamine with electroconvulsive therapy, such as possible psychotomimetic effects, on balance this anaesthetic agent may improve or hasten clinical response to electroconvulsive therapy. CONCLUSIONS: A clinical trial is warranted to determine if ketamine anaesthesia during electroconvulsive therapy can lessen persistent retrograde amnesia and improve therapeutic response. Electroconvulsive therapy with ketamine anaesthesia may provide effective antidepressant action with minimal side effects.

The kynurenine pathway and inflammation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive and fatal motor neuron disease of unknown pathogenesis. The kynurenine pathway (KP), activated during neuroinflammation, is emerging as a possible contributory factor in ALS. The KP is the major route for tryptophan (TRP) catabolism. The intermediates generated can be either neurotoxic, such as quinolinic acid (QUIN), or neuroprotective, such as picolinic acid (PIC), an important endogenous chelator. The first and inducible enzyme of the pathway is indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO). The present study aimed to characterize the expression of the KP in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), serum and central nervous system (CNS) tissue of ALS patients. Using high performance liquid chromatography, we analysed the levels of TRP and kynurenine (KYN), and, with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, the levels of PIC and QUIN, in the CSF and serum of ALS patients and control subjects. Immunohistochemistry was employed to determine the expression of QUIN, IDO and human leukocyte antigen-DR (HLA-DR) in sections of brain and spinal cord from ALS patients. There were significantly increased levels of CSF and serum TRP (P < 0.0001), KYN (P < 0.0001) and QUIN (P < 0.05) and decreased levels of serum PIC (P < 0.05) in ALS samples. There was a significant increase in activated microglia expressing HLA-DR (P < 0.0001) and increased neuronal and microglial expression of IDO and QUIN in ALS motor cortex and spinal cord. We show the presence of neuroinflammation in ALS and provide the first strong evidence for the involvement of the KP in ALS. These data point to an inflammation-driven excitotoxic-chelation defective mechanism in ALS, which may be amenable to inhibitors of the KP.

Activated actin-depolymerizing factor/cofilin sequesters phosphorylated microtubule-associated protein during the assembly of alzheimer-like neuritic cytoskeletal striations.

In Alzheimer's disease (AD), rod-like cofilin aggregates (cofilin-actin rods) and thread-like inclusions containing phosphorylated microtubule-associated protein (pMAP) tau form in the brain (neuropil threads), and the extent of their presence correlates with cognitive decline and disease progression. The assembly mechanism of these respective pathological lesions and the relationship between them is poorly understood, yet vital to understanding the causes of sporadic AD. We demonstrate that, during mitochondrial inhibition, activated actin-depolymerizing factor (ADF)/cofilin assemble into rods along processes of cultured primary neurons that recruit pMAP/tau and mimic neuropil threads. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer analysis revealed colocalization of cofilin-GFP (green fluorescent protein) and pMAP in rods, suggesting their close proximity within a cytoskeletal inclusion complex. The relationship between pMAP and cofilin-actin rods was further investigated using actin-modifying drugs and small interfering RNA knockdown of ADF/cofilin in primary neurons. The results suggest that activation of ADF/cofilin and generation of cofilin-actin rods is required for the subsequent recruitment of pMAP into the inclusions. Additionally, we were able to induce the formation of pMAP-positive ADF/cofilin rods by exposing cells to exogenous amyloid-beta (Abeta) peptides. These results reveal a common pathway for pMAP and cofilin accumulation in neuronal processes. The requirement of activated ADF/cofilin for the sequestration of pMAP suggests that neuropil thread structures in the AD brain may be initiated by elevated cofilin activation and F-actin bundling that can be caused by oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, or Abeta peptides, all suspected initiators of synaptic loss and neurodegeneration in AD.

The excitotoxin quinolinic acid induces tau phosphorylation in human neurons.

Some of the tryptophan catabolites produced through the kynurenine pathway (KP), and more particularly the excitotoxin quinolinic acid (QA), are likely to play a role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We have previously shown that the KP is over activated in AD brain and that QA accumulates in amyloid plaques and within dystrophic neurons. We hypothesized that QA in pathophysiological concentrations affects tau phosphorylation. Using immunohistochemistry, we found that QA is co-localized with hyperphosphorylated tau (HPT) within cortical neurons in AD brain. We then investigated in vitro the effects of QA at various pathophysiological concentrations on tau phosphorylation in primary cultures of human neurons. Using western blot, we found that QA treatment increased the phosphorylation of tau at serine 199/202, threonine 231 and serine 396/404 in a dose dependent manner. Increased accumulation of phosphorylated tau was also confirmed by immunocytochemistry. This increase in tau phosphorylation was paralleled by a substantial decrease in the total protein phosphatase activity. A substantial decrease in PP2A expression and modest decrease in PP1 expression were observed in neuronal cultures treated with QA. These data clearly demonstrate that QA can induce tau phosphorylation at residues present in the PHF in the AD brain. To induce tau phosphorylation, QA appears to act through NMDA receptor activation similar to other agonists, glutamate and NMDA. The QA effect was abrogated by the NMDA receptor antagonist memantine. Using PCR arrays, we found that QA significantly induces 10 genes in human neurons all known to be associated with AD pathology. Of these 10 genes, 6 belong to pathways involved in tau phosphorylation and 4 of them in neuroprotection. Altogether these results indicate a likely role of QA in the AD pathology through promotion of tau phosphorylation. Understanding the mechanism of the neurotoxic effects of QA is essential in developing novel therapeutic strategies for AD.

How calcium controls microtubule anisotropic phase formation in the presence of microtubule-associated proteins in vitro.

Here we show a new effect of Ca2+ on microtubule morphology: Ca2+ can cause smooth curving of microtubules in the presence of microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs). In vitro, microtubules self-organize, forming complex dissipative structures. Such structures may be strongly affected by relatively weak external factors. A factor such as Ca2+ potentially influences spatiotemporal patterns of microtubule assembly, but the dynamics are unclear. We tested Ca2+ effects on microtubule formation. Using EM, microtubule length, curvature, and alignment and were measured in two systems: 2 mg/ml microtubule protein containing MAPs and 1 mM EGTA with and without 1 mM Ca2+. The two systems were then tested using light scattering. In low Ca2+, a birefringent microtubular pattern is seen, increasing with polymerization. When 1 mM Ca2+ is added to the solution, anisotropic phase is prevented without microtubule disruption. This demonstrates an additional mechanism by which Ca2+ can alter the dynamics and morphology of microtubules.

Characterization of the kynurenine pathway in human neurons.

The kynurenine pathway is a major route of L-tryptophan catabolism producing neuroactive metabolites implicated in neurodegeneration and immune tolerance. We characterized the kynurenine pathway in human neurons and the human SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cell line and found that the kynurenine pathway enzymes were variably expressed. Picolinic carboxylase was expressed only in primary and some adult neurons but not in SK-N-SH cells. Because of this difference, SK-N-SH cells were able to produce the excitotoxin quinolinic acid, whereas human neurons produced the neuroprotectant picolinic acid. The net result of kynurenine pathway induction in human neurons is therefore predicted to result in neuroprotection, immune regulation, and tumor inhibition, whereas in SK-N-SH cells, it may result in neurotoxicity, immune tolerance, and tumor promotion. This study represents the first comprehensive characterization of the kynurenine pathway in neurons and the first description of the involvement of the kynurenine pathway as a mechanism for controlling both tumor cell neurotoxicity and persistence.

Microvascular pathology in the aging human brain: evidence that senile plaques are sites of microhaemorrhages.

Amyloid-rich plaques are a feature of the aging human cerebral cortex. We have recently described another feature of aging human cortex, microhaemorrhages, identified by their content of haem, red blood cells, collagen and clotting factors, and their spatial relationship to capillaries. Here we relate microhaemorrhages to amyloid deposits. Observations were made in three groups: patients with no history of dementia, patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and patients with Down's syndrome (DS) and dementia. Amyloid deposits and microhaemorrhages were labelled in adjacent sections, amyloid deposits with antibodies to beta-amyloid (betaA), and microhaemorrhages by Prussian blue histochemistry for haem. The densities and sizes of betaA deposits and haem-rich deposits (HRDs), and their relationship to blood vessels, were surveyed in temporal, cingulate and superior frontal cortex. Our results suggest that HRDs and betaA deposits are the same sites of pathology. Their densities in the cortex and white matter of the regions surveyed varied markedly between cases, particularly between demented and non-demented cases, but they always co-varied; where haem deposits were sparse or numerous, so were betaA deposits. Both HRDs and betaA deposits formed adjacent to or encircling small vessels, often at branch points, and a spatial proximity analysis confirmed that both were found close to or colocalising with microvessels. Both HRDs and betaA deposits were associated with blood- or vessel-derived proteins (fibrinogen, von Willebrand factor and collagen VI). Since haem is an established marker of cerebral bleeding, and amyloid is a marker of senile plaques, our results indicate that senile plaques are sites of microhaemorrhages. This colocalisation raises the very testable questions of whether microhaemorrhages are early events in plaque formation and whether therapies which stabilise cerebral microvessels can prevent the onset or slow the progress of dementias associated with plaque formation.

The experimental toxicology of metallic mercury on the murine peripheral motor system: a novel method of assessing axon calibre spectra using the phrenic nerve.

The toxicology of metallic mercury on motor neurons and their processes requires further work to resolve controversial implications in the aetiology of human motor neuron disease (MND). The assessment of experimental neurotoxicity in the peripheral motor system is, however, technically problematic and difficult to interpret. The mean number of axons in a nerve can vary considerably due to a high degree of biological variation. Atrophy of large axons can appear as loss when, in fact, their numbers appear in smaller diameter axonal categories. We addressed these quantitative problems using the murine phrenic nerve (MPN), a mono-fascicular, predominantly motor nerve as a model system. One micrometer transverse sections of gluteraldehyde/osmium tetroxide fixed MPNs were stained for myelin using a silver technique. Axon areas were measured from digital images of the nerve in cross-section (ImagePro Plus software) and transformed to circular diameter equivalents, then displayed as frequency distributions. We found a high biological variation in the mean axon number between paired nerves within experimental groups. Therefore, axon diameter data within individuals group was pooled. Theoretical simulation of axonal degeneration, atrophy and hypertrophy of larger myelinated axons (also affected in MND) were modelled by manipulating the original data set. With this model, by comparing normal distributions, it is possible to distinguish axonal atrophy, degenerative loss, and hypertrophy as distinct pathological processes in the large calibre axon subgroup that are selectively vulnerable to metallic toxins such as mercury.

Pericapillary haem-rich deposits: evidence for microhaemorrhages in aging human cerebral cortex.

In this post mortem study, we examined haem-rich deposits (HRDs) in patients with and without dementia, using a histochemical label (Prussian blue) to show haem, autofluorescence to detect red blood cells (RBCs), and immunohistochemistry for clotting-related factors and collagen IV. The patients studied had no clinical or post mortem evidence of macrovascular stroke. To allow examination of the spatial relationships between HRDs and the microvasculature, we cut 45-microm sections. Haem-rich deposits were small (<200 microm diameter). They were rare in younger (<50 years) patients but were more common in older (>70 years) patients, particularly in cerebral cortex, and were most abundant in cases with senile plaques. Wherever HRDs appeared they were perivascular and appeared to form around capillaries or small arterioles. Using a software package (Proxan) developed to outline vessels and HRDs, and to analyse the distances between them, a tight spatial correlation between HRDs and capillaries was shown. In addition, HRDs were rich in von Willebrand factor (vWF), fibrinogen, collagen IV and RBCs. These observations suggest that HRDs are the residua of capillary bleeds (microhaemorrhages), and that microhaemorrhages are a common feature of the aging cerebral cortex, particularly where plaque pathology is present.