Treatment with a copper-zinc chelator markedly and rapidly inhibits beta-amyloid accumulation in Alzheimer's disease transgenic mice.

Inhibition of neocortical beta-amyloid (Abeta) accumulation may be essential in an effective therapeutic intervention for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Cu and Zn are enriched in Abeta deposits in AD, which are solubilized by Cu/Zn-selective chelators in vitro. Here we report a 49% decrease in brain Abeta deposition (-375 microg/g wet weight, p = 0.0001) in a blinded study of APP2576 transgenic mice treated orally for 9 weeks with clioquinol, an antibiotic and bioavailable Cu/Zn chelator. This was accompanied by a modest increase in soluble Abeta (1.45% of total cerebral Abeta); APP, synaptophysin, and GFAP levels were unaffected. General health and body weight parameters were significantly more stable in the treated animals. These results support targeting the interactions of Cu and Zn with Abeta as a novel therapy for the prevention and treatment of AD.

Inositol as a selective substrate for the growth of Klebsiellae and Serratiae.

A synthetic basal salts medium containing inositol as the sole source for carbon and energy and bromothymol blue as pH indicator, selectively supports the growth of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Serratia spp. On this medium incubated at 37 degrees C for 24 hr, all cultures of Kl. pneumoniae, Serratia liquefaciens and S. marcescens form yellow colonies. The medium may be used selectively for the primary isolation of the aforementioned bacteria from faeces and as a differential medium for their isolation from saliva and urine.

Selective medium for growth of Proteus.

A medium containing heart infusion agar supplemented with bile salts, lithium chloride, sodium thiosulfate, and sodium citrate was developed for the selective growth of Proteus.