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PMID: 17599696 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Resistance to Alzheimer's pathology is associated with nuclear hypertrophy in neurons.

Neurobiology of aging ·Vol. 28 ·No. 10 ·2007-10-00 ·Pages 1484-92

Riudavets MA, Iacono D, Resnick SM, O'Brien R, Zonderman AB, Martin LJ, Rudow G, Pletnikova O, Troncoso JC

Abstract

This study focuses on the morphometric changes of neurons in asymptomatic Alzheimer's disease (AD), a state characterized by the presence of AD lesions in subjects without cognitive impairment. In autopsy brains, we used stereological methods to compare the cell body and nuclear volumes of anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG) and CA1 hippocampal neurons in asymptomatic AD subjects (n=9), subjects with AD dementia (AD, n=8), mild cognitive impairment (MCI, n=9), and age-matched controls (controls, n=9). In ACG, we observed a significant decrease in the neuronal volume of MCI and AD compared to controls; by contrast, no atrophy was present in asymptomatic AD. Moreover, we found a significant increase in nuclear volume in asymptomatic AD compared to controls (P<0.001), MCI (P<0.01) and AD (P<0.001) brains. Similar results were found in the CA1 region of the hippocampus. This nuclear hypertrophy may represent an early neuronal reaction to Abeta or Tau, or a compensatory mechanism which forestalls the progression of AD and allows the brain to resist the development of dementia.

MeSH Terms
Aged Aged, 80 and over Alzheimer Disease/pathology,physiopathology Amyloid beta-Peptides/analysis,metabolism Biomarkers/analysis,metabolism Brain/pathology,physiopathology Cell Nucleus/pathology Cell Nucleus Size/physiology Cognition Disorders/etiology,pathology,physiopathology Dementia/pathology,physiopathology Disease Progression Gyrus Cinguli/pathology,physiopathology Hippocampus/pathology,physiopathology Humans Hypertrophy/etiology Immunity, Innate/physiology Male Middle Aged Neurons/pathology tau Proteins/analysis,metabolism
Chemicals
Amyloid beta-Peptides Biomarkers tau Proteins
Authors & Affiliations
9 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Riudavets Miguel Angel
Division of Neuropathology, Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
Iacono Diego
Resnick Susan M
O'Brien Richard
Zonderman Alan B
Martin Lee J
Rudow Gay
Pletnikova Olga
Troncoso Juan C
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Article Info
Journal
Neurobiology of aging
Abbr.
Neurobiol Aging
ISSN
1558-1497
DOI
10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2007.05.005
Published
2007-10-00
Epub
2007-00-28
Pages
1484-92
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
8100437
PMCID
PMC2694127
Subset
IM
Grants
NINDS NIH HHS · R01 NS052098-01A1 · United States
NIA NIH HHS · AG 05146 · United States
NINDS NIH HHS · NS52098 · United States
NIA NIH HHS · R01 AG016282-07 · United States
Intramural NIH HHS · Z01 AG000191-11 · United States
NIA NIH HHS · P50 AG005146-249003 · United States
NIA NIH HHS · R01 AG016282 · United States
NINDS NIH HHS · R01 NS052098 · United States
NIA NIH HHS · AG16282 · United States
NIA NIH HHS · P50 AG005146 · United States
NIA NIH HHS · P50 AG005146-240030 · United States
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2007.05.005 PMC Full Text View journal details
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