Our overall objective is to define critical factors in the pathogenesis of experimental amyloidosis and to prevent or delay amyloid deposition by rational dietary or therapeutic intervention. Specifically, we will determine; 1) If strain variability in amyloid susceptibility in the acute and aging mouse models resides in the mononuclear phagocytic system (MPS) degradation of amyloid precursors, possibly due to the presence of protease inhibitors; 2) If the recently discovered protective effect of bacterial endotoxic lipopolysaccharides (LPS) on amyloid deposition involves alterations in MPS activation that are reflected in cytokine profiles, oxygen radical production and other parameters of cellular function such as microtubule polymerization and activity of lysosomal enzymes; 3) If dietary manipulation (total caloric intake, protein composition, type of fatty acid and level of antioxidant) can alter the disease incidence and/or severity and whether such change can be related to macrophage protease activity. We will utilize """"""""transfer amyloidosis"""""""", to study: a) amyloid resistance in A/J mice and in CE/J mice and b) an """"""""amyloid enhancing factor"""""""" (AEF) extracted from brains of Alzheimer's disease patients. To achieve the specific aims we will use a) young genetically susceptible and resistant mice given azocasein by injection and b) old C57BL, A J and SJL/J mice maintained on high casein diets. Resident Mos from susceptible and resistant mice with and without amyloidosis will be cultured with normal HDL or acute phase HDL in which SAA is a major apolipoprotein. SAA degradation will be measured subtractively by ELISA or by densitometric scanning of SAA bands on polyacrylamide gels. Cytokine profiles (both protein measured by ELISA and MRNA levels by Northern blot analysis) will be correlated with amyloid deposition. In summary, our studies converge on two key elements, MPS derived proteases and anti-proteases that may play a central role in the genesis of Alzheimer's disease in humans and azocasein-induced amyloidosis in mice. MPS function is influenced by many divergent parameters including age, dietary protein and lipid content, LPS, colchicine, and antioxidants. It is our goal to identify common elements of the MPS that lead to amyloid fibril formation, and to provide a framework from which to address the role of the MPS in other forms of amyloidosis, especially that associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AG006860-10
Application #
2049626
Study Section
Medical Biochemistry Study Section (MEDB)
Project Start
1987-09-30
Project End
1998-08-31
Budget Start
1996-09-01
Budget End
1998-08-31
Support Year
10
Fiscal Year
1996
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Boston University
Department
Biochemistry
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
604483045
City
Boston
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02118
Cathcart, E S; Elliott-Bryant, R (1999) Diet, amyloid enhancing factor (AEF) and amyloidogenesis: an hypothesis. Amyloid 6:107-13
Elliott-Bryant, R; Cathcart, E S (1998) Amyloid enhancing factor and dietary transmission in accelerated amyloid A amyloidosis. Clin Immunol Immunopathol 88:65-9
Elliott-Bryant, R; Liang, J S; Sipe, J D et al. (1998) Catabolism of lipid-free recombinant apolipoprotein serum amyloid A by mouse macrophages in vitro results in removal of the amyloid fibril-forming amino terminus. Scand J Immunol 48:241-7
Gruys, E; Tooten, P C; Cathcart, E S (1998) Polyarthritis and periostitis induced by Escherichia coli. Lipopolysaccharide injection in young male hamsters. J Rheumatol 25:748-52
Hajri, T; Elliott-Bryant, R; Sipe, J D et al. (1998) The acute phase response in apolipoprotein A-1 knockout mice: apolipoprotein serum amyloid A and lipid distribution in plasma high density lipoproteins. Biochim Biophys Acta 1394:209-18
Kirschner, D A; Elliott-Bryant, R; Szumowski, K E et al. (1998) In vitro amyloid fibril formation by synthetic peptides corresponding to the amino terminus of apoSAA isoforms from amyloid-susceptible and amyloid-resistant mice. J Struct Biol 124:88-98
Liang, J; Elliott-Bryant, R; Hajri, T et al. (1998) A unique amyloidogenic apolipoprotein serum amyloid A (apoSAA) isoform expressed by the amyloid resistant CE/J mouse strain exhibits higher affinity for macrophages than apoSAA1 and apoSAA2 expressed by amyloid susceptible CBA/J mice. Biochim Biophys Acta 1394:121-6
Elliott-Bryant, R; Cathcart, E S (1997) Apolipoprotein E and apolipoprotein A-1 knock-out mice readily develop amyloid A protein amyloidosis. Clin Immunol Immunopathol 85:104-8
Liang, J S; Sloane, J A; Wells, J M et al. (1997) Evidence for local production of acute phase response apolipoprotein serum amyloid A in Alzheimer's disease brain. Neurosci Lett 225:73-6
Liang, J S; Fine, R E; Abraham, C R et al. (1996) The fibril forming region of the beta-amyloid precursor differs from that of the amyloid A precursor in its interaction with lipids. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 219:962-7

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