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1997 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

Immunocytochemical and ultrastructural examination of amyloid plaques in the brains with Alzheimer-type dementia.

Research Project

Project/Area Number 08671119
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Section一般
Research Field Psychiatric science
Research InstitutionTokyo Institute of Psychiatry

Principal Investigator

ARIMA Kunimasa  Tokyo Institute of Psychiatry, Dept.of Ultrastructure and Histochemistry, Vice Councilor of Research, 超微形態研究部門, 副参事研究員 (20250227)

Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) NAKAMURA Minako  Tokyo Institute of Psychiatry, Dept.of Technical Research, Researcher, 技術部, 研究員
泉山 洋子  (財)東京都精神医学総合研究所, 技術部, 研究員
SHIMOMURA Yoko  Tokyo Institute of Psychiatry, Dept.of Technical Research, Researcher
Project Period (FY) 1996 – 1997
KeywordsAlzhemer's disease / Amyloid / Astrocyte / Electron microscopy / Gliosis / Paired helical filaments / Senile plaque / Tau protein
Research Abstract

This is a detailed immunohistochemical and ultrastructural examination of "amyloid plaques" in the brains of Alzheimer's disease. The amyloid plaque is a distinctive type of senile palques, in which thin glial bundles penetrate into the mass of amyloid fibrils accompanied with very few degenerating axon terminals, first described by Oyanagi (1990) under the electron microscope in certain cases of Alzheimer's disease.
Subjects : Seven clinically and pathologically well-documented Alzheimer's disease cases were examined
Results : 1. Histological studies. Numerous amyloid plaques were found in two cases, in which amyloid plaques tended to occurred in the parietal and temporal cortices and in the floor of the gyrus. Only few amyloid plaques were found in the floor of gyri in the parietal and temporal lobes in three cases. No amyloid plaques were found in two cases.
2. Immunohistochemical studies. The amyloid core of the amyloid plaques showed positive immunoreaction with all of the anti-beta- … More amyloid antibodies that recognized amino-acid residues of 1-40,1-42, and 8-17. In terms of molecular spices of Abeta-protein, both of Abeta1-40 and Abeta1-42 were identified. Anti-GFAP antibody stained thin glial bundles that penetrated into the amyloid mass. Anti-tau antibodies visualized only few neuronal processes surrounding the amyloid mass.
3. Electron microscopic studies. Astrocytic glial bindles were identified in amyloid plaques. A particular form of astrocytic degeneration called "astrocytic glial tangles" were found in 3 cases that had amyloid plaques. The astrocytic glial tangles consisted of abnormal tubular structures that resembled PHFs and straight tubules of neurofibrillary tangles.
4. Immuno-electron microscopy and electron microscopic observation of Gallyas-Braak's silver impregnation sections. Abnormal tubules in the astrocytes showed argyrophilia and anti-tau immunoreactivity.
Conclusions : The amyloid plaque was a distinctive type of senile plaques in that the former lacked degenerating axon terminals and that the former had intense astrocytic reaction to the amyloid mass. Association between the occurrence of amyloid plaques and the clinical duration was not found. Less

  • Research Products

    (7 results)

All Other

All Publications (7 results)

  • [Publications] Arima, K.et al.: "Argyrophilic tau-positive twisted and non-twisted tubules in astrocytic processes in brains of Alzheimer-type dementia:an electron microscopical study." Acta Neuropathologica. 95. 28-39 (1998)

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      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Arima, K.et al.: "Immunohistochemical and ultrastructural characterization of ubiquitinated eosinophilic fibrillary neuronal inclusions in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis." Acta Neuropathologica. (in press). (1998)

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      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Arima, K.et al.: "Tau-positive argyrophilic astrocytic processes in the neuropil of Alzheimer's disease brain tissue:an electron microscopic investigation." Alzheimer's disease:biology,diagnosis,and therapeutics.Ed by Iqbal,K.et al.John Wiley and Sons, 291-298 (1997)

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      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Arima K,Izumiyama Y,Nakamura M Nakayama H,Kimura M,Ando S,Ikeda K,Takahashi K: "Argyrophilic tau-positive twisted and non-twisted tubules in astrocytic processes in brains of Alzheimer-type dementia : an electron microscopical study." Acta Neuropathol. 95. 28-39 (1998)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Shimomura Y,Arima K,Nakamura M,Nakayama H,Kimura M,Ando S,Ikeda K: "Argyrophilic tau-positive twisted and non-twisted tubules in astrocytic process in brains with Alzheimer-type dementia : an electron microscopic study." Brain Pathology (13th International Congress of Neuropathology, Perth, Australia, 1997/09/09). 7. 1201 (1997)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Arima K,Izumiyama Y,Nakamura M: "Twisted profile of glial fibrillary tangles in the astrocytic processes in brains with Alzheimertype dementia" Neurobiology of Aging (Fifth international conference on Alzheimer's disease and related disorders, Osaka, Japan, 1996/7/26). 17, Supple. 192 (1996)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Arima K,Izumiyama Y,Nakamura M: Tau-positive argyrophilic astrocytic processes in the neuropil of Alzheimer's disease brains : an electron microscopic investigaton.In : Alzheimer's disease : biology, diagnosis, and therapeutics, (Iqubal Winblad, Nishimutra, Takeda, Wisniewski, eds) Jhon Wiley & Sons, Chichester, 289-296 (1997)

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      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より

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Published: 1999-03-16  

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