Histochemically-reactive zinc in amyloid plaques, angiopathy, and degenerating neurons of Alzheimer's diseased brains

• Published in: Brain research Vol. 852; no. 2; pp. 274 - 278
• Main Authors: Suh, Sang Won, Jensen, Knud B., Jensen, Morten S., Silva, David S., Kesslak, Patrick J., Danscher, Gorm, Frederickson, Christopher J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Elsevier B.V 10-01-2000; Amsterdam Elsevier; New York, NY
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alzheimer Disease - metabolism; Alzheimer Disease - pathology; Alzheimer's disease; Aminoquinolines; Amyloid; Amyloidosis - metabolism; Amyloidosis - pathology; Biological and medical sciences; Brain Chemistry; Cell Count; Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases; Fluorescent Dyes; Humans; Medical sciences; Nerve Degeneration - metabolism; Nerve Degeneration - pathology; Neurofibrillary tangle; Neurofibrillary Tangles - metabolism; Neurofibrillary Tangles - pathology; Neurology; Neuropil - metabolism; Neuropil - pathology; Plaque; Silver Staining - methods; Sulfides; Tosyl Compounds; Zinc; Zinc - analysis; Amyloid; Neurofibrillary tangle; Alzheimer's disease; Zinc; Plaque; Human; Nervous system diseases; Alzheimer disease; Central nervous system disease; Degenerative disease; Metabolism; Cerebral disorder
• ISSN: 0006-8993; 1872-6240
• DOI: 10.1016/S0006-8993(99)02096-X

Excess brain zinc has been implicated in Alzheimer's neuropathology. Here we evaluated that hypothesis by searching the brains of Alzheimer's patients for abnormal zinc deposits. Using histochemical methods, we found vivid Zn
2+ staining in the amyloid deposits of dense-core (senile) plaques, in the amyloid angiopathy surrounding diseased blood vessels, and in the somata and dendrites of neurons showing the characteristic neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) of Alzheimer's. In contrast, brains from age-matched, non-demented subjects showed only occasional staining for Zn
2+ in scattered neurons and possible plaques. A role of abnormal zinc metabolism in Alzheimer's neuropathology is suggested.