OBJECTIVETo recognize relationship of protein related neurodegeneration abnormal aggregation in the aged brains with their cognitive and motor functions.

METHODSBrain tissues from the consecutive autopsy cases of the aged from January 2005 to December 2006 in PLA General Hospital were carried out for immunohistochemical staining with beta amyloid, tau, α-synuclein and ubiquitin antibodies. The consortium to establish a registry for Alzheimer's disease (CERAD) was used to semi-quantitatively analyze Aβ positive core plaques density and Braak staging for tau positive neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) and α-synuclein positive Lewy bodies. In addition, Aβ positive cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), neuritic plaques and various ubiquitin positive structures were also observed. The relationship of these protein abnormal depositions in the aged brains with cognitive and motor functions were analyzed.

RESULTSIn brain tissues of 16 consecutive autopsy cases of the aged from 78 to 95 years, there were 13 cases with Aβ positive core plaques, their density was 2 cases with sparse, 2 cases with moderate and 9 cases with frequent, respectively, according to CREAD.Eight cases with Aβ positive CAA were found, including 6 cases of mild CAA and 2 cases of severe CAA. There were 12 cases with tau positive NFTs, including 6 cases with Braak stageI-II, 4 cases with stage III-IV and 2 cases with stage V-VI. There were 5 cases with frequent Aβ core plaques, meanwhile existing numerous tau/ubiquitin positive neuritic plaques and Braak stage IV-VI of tau positive NFTs, all of them presented cognitive dysfunction. Among 4 other cases with frequent Aβ core plaques, only one case coexisted α-synuclein positive Lewy bodies showed moderate cognitive impairment, remaining 3 cases did not present cognitive dysfunction. There were 4 cases with α-synuclein positive Lewy bodies in the brainstem, and all of these cases presented parkinsonian motor dysfunction. 13 cases with ubiquitin positive structures were found.

CONCLUSIONSBeta amyloid protein positive deposit in the aged brain is an important marker of normal brain aging and cognitive impairment; frequent Aβ core plaques in the neocortex plus Braak IV and above tau positive NFTs are closely related to cognitive dysfunction of Alzheimer's disease; α-synuclein positive Lewy bodies in the brainstem is one of the important pathological markers of parkinsonian motor disorders; ubiquitin deposition involves the development of some characteristic structures of several neurodegenerative diseases.

Aged ; Alzheimer Disease ; metabolism ; pathology ; Amyloid beta-Peptides ; analysis ; Autopsy ; Brain ; pathology ; Brain Chemistry ; Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy ; Humans ; Neurofibrillary Tangles ; chemistry ; pathology ; Plaque, Amyloid ; Ubiquitin ; analysis ; alpha-Synuclein ; analysis ; tau Proteins ; analysis

Amyloid ; analysis ; Amyloidosis ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Ureter ; pathology ; Ureteral Diseases ; pathology

We present a case of localised AA-type amyloidosis of the ureter with spheroids of amyloid. Localised AA-type amyloidosis of the urogenital tract is uncommon and extremely rare as a cause of ureteric obstruction, with only two such cases described in the literature to date. Most previously described cases at this site are related to primary AL-type amyloidosis. Another interesting finding in this case is the presence of spheroids of amyloid, which to the best of our knowledge, has not been previously reported at this site, and is also unusual at other sites.
Adult ; Amyloid ; analysis ; Amyloidosis ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Ureter ; pathology ; Ureteral Diseases ; pathology

OBJECTIVEThe changes in serum adipokines and cytokines related to oxidative stress were examined during 3 months 'Off to On' and 'On to Off' periods using negatively charged particle-dominant indoor air conditions (NCPDIAC).

METHODSSeven volunteers participated in the study, which included 'OFF to 3 months ON' periods (ON trials) for a total of 16 times, and 'ON to 3 months OFF' (OFF trials) periods for a total of 13 times.

RESULTSWith the exception of one case, serum amyloid A (SAA) levels decreased significantly during the ON trials.

CONCLUSIONConsidering that SAA is an acute phase reactive protein such as C reactive protein (CRP), this observed decrease might indicate the prevention of cardiovascular and atherosclerotic changes, since an increase in high-sensitive CRP is associated with the subsequent detection of these events.

Adult ; Air ; analysis ; Air Pollution, Indoor ; Environmental Monitoring ; Female ; Housing ; Humans ; Male ; Serum Amyloid A Protein ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study the protective effects of astragaloside (AST) on memory impairment and the expression levels of amyloid precursor protein (APP) and its mRNA, alpha secretase and beta secretase mRNA in the brain of mice induced by dexamethasone (DEX).

METHODMice were randomly divided into six groups: control group, model group, AST ( 10, 20, 40 mg x kg(-1)) groups and ginsenoside Rg1 (6.5 mg x kg(-1)) group. The animal models of dysmnesy mice were established by intragastrical administration of DEX (5 mg x kg(-1)) for 21 days. Subsequently, the dysmnesy mice were treated by intragastrical administration of ginsenoside Rg1 and different doses of AST (10, 20, 40 mg x kg(-1)), respectively. Morris water maze was applied to evaluate the learning and memory function in mice. The expression of APP, alpha secretase and beta secretase mRNA were analysed by RT-PCR, and immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate the expression levels of APP in cerebral cortex, hippocampus CA1 and CA3.

RESULTAST (20, 40 mg x kg(-1)) could improve the learning and memory function in mice (P<0.05, P<0.01), decrease the expression levels of APP and beta secretase mRNA (P<0.05), increase the expression level of alpha secretase mRNA (P<0.05), and decrease the expression level of APP in cerebral cortex and hippocampus CA1 (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONAST could improve the learning and memory function in mice, which mechanism may contribtuted to the expression inhibition of APP and APP mRNA, beta secretase mRNA, and promotion of the expression of alpha secretase mRNA.

Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases ; genetics ; Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor ; genetics ; Animals ; Dexamethasone ; pharmacology ; Male ; Memory Disorders ; drug therapy ; prevention & control ; Mice ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; Saponins ; pharmacology ; Triterpenes ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo examine the protective effect of ecdysterone (ECR) against beta-amyloid peptide fragment(25-35) (Abeta(25-35))-induced PC12 cells cytotoxicity, and to further explore its mechanism.

METHODSExperimental PC12 cells were divided into the Abeta group (treated by Abeta(25-35) 100 micromol/L), the blank group (untreated), the positive control group (treated by Vit E 100 micromol/L after induction) and the ECR treated groups (treated by ECR with different concentrations of 1, 50 and 100 micromol/L). The damaged and survival condition of PC12 cells in various groups was monitored by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release and MTT assay. The content of malondialdehyde (MDA) was measured by fluorometric assay to indicate the lipid peroxidation. And the antioxidant enzymes activities in PC12 cells, including superoxide dismutases (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), were detected respectively.

RESULTSAfter PC12 cells were treated with Abeta(25-35) (100 micromol/L) for 24 hrs, they revealed a great decrease in MTT absorbance and activity of antioxidant enzymes, including SOD, CAT and GSH-Px as well as a significant increase of LDH activity and MDA content in PC12 cells (P < 0.01). When the cells was pretreated with 1-100 micromol/L ECR for 24 hrs before Abeta(25-35) treatment, the above-mentioned cytotoxic effect of Abeta(25-35) could be significantly attenuated dose-dependently, for ECR 50 micromol/L, P < 0.05 and for ECR 100 micromol/L, P < 0.01. Moreover, ECR also showed significant inhibition on the Abeta(25-35) induced decrease of SOD and GSH-Px activity, but not on that of CAT.

CONCLUSIONECR could protect PC12 cells from cytotoxicity of Abeta(25-35), and the protective mechanism might be related to the increase of SOD and GSH-Px activities and the decrease of MDA resulting from the ECR-pretreatment.

Amyloid beta-Peptides ; toxicity ; Animals ; Catalase ; analysis ; Ecdysterone ; pharmacology ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; analysis ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; analysis ; Malondialdehyde ; analysis ; PC12 Cells ; Peptide Fragments ; toxicity ; Rats

BACKGROUNDAlteration in the protein composition of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) has been proposed as a mechanism for the development of coronary heart disease (CHD). In HDL, an increase in serum amyloid A protein (SAA) accompanying the decrease in apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) has been found during the acute inflammation period. However, whether this phenomenon persists in CHD patients, a disease related to inflammation, is unknown. The purpose of the present study was to explore the relationship between SAA and apoA-I in HDL isolated from CHD patients.

METHODSOverall, 98 patients with confirmed stable CHD and 90 control subjects matched for age and gender were enrolled in this case-control study. Potassium bromide (KBr) density gradient ultracentrifugation was used to isolate HDL from plasma. The levels of SAA and apoA-I in the HDL samples were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Pearson's correlation and general linear models were used in the analysis.

RESULTSCompared with controls, patients with CHD had a significant decrease in the amount of apoA-I ((14.21 ± 8.44) µg/ml vs. (10.95 ± 5.95) µg/ml, P = 0.003) in HDL and a significant increase in the amount of log SAA (1.21 ± 0.46 vs. 1.51 ± 0.55, P < 0.00001). Differences were independent of age, body mass index (BMI), HDL cholesterol (HDL-C), and other factors. An independently and statistically significant positive correlation between log SAA and apoA-I in HDL was observed only in the CHD group (β = 2.0, P = 0.026). In the general linear model, changes in log(SAA), age, age2, gender, BMI and HDL-C could explain a statistically significant 43% of the variance in apoA-I.

CONCLUSIONSThis study provides direct evidence for the first time that there was an independent positive correlation between log SAA and apoA-I in the HDL of CHD patients, indicating the alteration of protein composition in HDL. However, the question of whether this alteration in HDL is associated with impairment of HDL functions requires further research.

Adult ; Aged ; Apolipoprotein A-I ; analysis ; Coronary Disease ; blood ; etiology ; Female ; Humans ; Lipoproteins, HDL ; analysis ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Serum Amyloid A Protein ; analysis

Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor ; analysis ; physiology ; Animals ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cytoskeleton ; chemistry ; Mice ; Neurites ; physiology ; Neuroblastoma ; pathology ; Neurofilament Proteins ; analysis ; genetics ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis

BACKGROUNDSenile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) represent two of the major histopathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The plaques are primarily composed of aggregated amyloid beta (Abeta) peptides. The processing of amyloid-beta precursor protein (AbetaPP) in okadaic acid (OA)-induced tau phosphorylation primary neurons was studied.

METHODSPrimary cultures of rat brain cortical neurons were treated with OA and beta-secretase inhibitor. Neurons' viability was measured. AbetaPP processing was examined by immunocytochemistry and Western blotting with specific antibodies against the AbetaPP-N-terminus (NT) and AbetaPP-C-terminus (CT).

RESULTSTen nmol/L OA had a time-dependent suppression effect on primary neurons' viability. The suppression effect was alleviated markedly by pretreatment with beta-secretase inhibitor. After OA treatment, both AbetaPP and beta-C-terminal fragment (betaCTF) were significantly increased in neurons. AbetaPP level was increased further in neurons pretreated with beta-secretase inhibitor.

CONCLUSIONSIn OA-induced tau phosphorylation cell model, inhibition of beta-secretase may protect neurons from death induced by OA. Because of increased accumulation of AbetaPP in neurons after OA treatment, more AbetaPP turns to be cleaved by beta-secretase, producing neurotoxic betaCTF. As apotential effective therapeutic target, beta-secretase is worth investigating further.

Alzheimer Disease ; drug therapy ; Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor ; analysis ; Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Cerebral Cortex ; chemistry ; Enzyme Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Immunohistochemistry ; Okadaic Acid ; pharmacology ; Peptide Fragments ; analysis ; Rats

PURPOSE: The measuring Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA is an important predictor of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). This study evaluated the predictive value of pretreatment serum amyloid A (SAA) and C-reactive protein (CRP) comparing with EBV DNA in patients with NPC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In an observational study of 419 non-metastatic NPC patients, we prospectively evaluated the prognostic effects of pretreatment SAA, CRP, and EBV DNA on survival. The primary end-point was progress-free survival (PFS). RESULTS: The median level of SAA and CRP was 4.28 mg/L and 1.88 mg/L, respectively. For the high-SAA group (> 4.28 mg/L) versus the low-SAA (≤ 4.28 mg/L) group and the high-CRP group (> 1.88 mg/L) versus the low-CRP (≤ 1.88 mg/L) group, the 5-year PFS was 64.5% versus 73.1% (p=0.013) and 65.2% versus 73.3% (p=0.064), respectively. EBV DNA detection showed a superior predictive result, the 5-year PFS in the EBV DNA ≥ 1,500 copies/mL group was obviously different than the EBV DNA < 1,500 copies/mL group (62.2% versus 77.8%, p < 0.001). Multifactorial Cox regression analysis confirmed that in the PFS, the independent prognostic factors were including EBV DNA (hazard ratio [HR], 1.788; p=0.009), tumour stage (HR, 1.903; p=0.021), and node stage (HR, 1.498; p=0.049), but the SAA and CRP were not included in the independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSION: The results of SAA and CRP had a certain relationship with the prognosis of NPC, and the prognosis of patients with high level of SAA and CRP were poor. However, the predictive ability of SAA and CRP was lower than that of EBV DNA.
C-Reactive Protein* ; DNA* ; Herpesvirus 4, Human* ; Humans ; Observational Study ; Prognosis ; Prospective Studies* ; Serum Amyloid A Protein* ; Survival Analysis