1993 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Morphological Study of Senile Plaques and NFTs in Alzheimer's Disease
| Project/Area Number |
03454291
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (B)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Research Field |
Psychiatric science
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| Research Institution | Kumamoto University |
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Principal Investigator |
MIYAKAWA Taihei Kumamoto University, School of Medicine, Professor, 医学部, 教授 (90040542)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
YAMASHITA Kensho Kumamoto University, University Hospital, Instructor, 医学部附属病院, 助手 (10230418)
KATSURAGI Syoichi Kumamoto University, University Hospital, Lecturer, 医学部附属病院, 講師 (00161092)
KURAMOTO Ryoko Kumamoto University, Health Center, Associate Professor, 保健管理センター, 助教授 (90109661)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1991 – 1993
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| Keywords | Alzheimer's disease / Senile plaques / Amyloid fibrils / Methenamine silver stain / alpha 1-antichymotrypsin |
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| Research Abstract |
In addition to the ultrastructural study of amyloid fibrils, amyloid fibrils and preamyloid in the brain which had the fine ultrastructure of a well preserved neuropil were examined using methenamine siver stain by light and electron microscope. In serial sections, amyloid fibrils in extracellular spaces continued directly to the capillaries. Using methena mine silver stain, silver granules were deposited at the amyloid fibrils and in extracellular spaces forming diffuse plaques. Many siver granules in the extracellular spaces seemed to stain preamyloid surrounding the capillaries. These findings. to indicate that capillaries have an important rolein the formation of amyloid fibrils at least in some senile plaques.
alpha 1-antichymotrypsin, which is barely demonstrable in the normal brain, was found in amyloid fibrils, endothelial cells and the cytoplasm of astroglial cells in brains from patients with Alzheimer's disease. Amyloid precursors stained with methenamine silver were arrayd mainly along the menbranes, and amyloid fibrils, which stained densely with anti-alpha 1-antichymotrypsin, were in direct contact with the fibrous structures connecting with the membranes of vascular feet or astrocytic processes. From the above findings, alpha 1-antichymotrypsin seems to play a role in the production of amyloid fibrils in Alzheimer's disease.
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