This project addresses the question of whether deficits in NGF- responsiveness may underly some of the neuropathological changes which occur in the basal forebrain in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We propose to test the hypothesis that expression of the nerve growth factor (NGF-R) gene is a sensitive indicator of the morphological integrity of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons (Ch1 - Ch4) cell groups), with increased levels of NGF-R mRNA and neuronal hypertrophy correlated with high levels of NGF in cortical target regions, and decrease levels of NGF-R and neuronal atrophy correlated with growth factor deprivation. In situ hybridization of NGF-R mRNA will be combined with quantitative measures of cell number and cellular hybridization intensity to document changes in NGF-R gene expression within components of the Ch1-Ch4 cell groups in AD. One mechanism by which amyloid deposition may occur with cortical target regions is by changes in the expression of the amyloid protein precursor (APP) gene within cortically-projecting cholinergic neurons of the basal forebrain. Thus, we will test the hypothesis that a specific form of APP mRNA transcript may be preferentially correlated with decreased NGF- responsiveness in Alzheimer's disease. These experiments will combine in situ hybridization methods with recently developed reverse transcriptase- polymerase chain reaction (R-PCR) to provide relative quantification of changes in the ratios of APP mRNA in AD.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Type
Unknown (R35)
Project #
5R35AG009016-04
Application #
3768376
Study Section
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
Budget End
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
1993
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Rochester
Department
Type
DUNS #
208469486
City
Rochester
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
14627
Callahan, Linda M; Vaules, William A; Coleman, Paul D (2002) Progressive reduction of synaptophysin message in single neurons in Alzheimer disease. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 61:384-95
Richfield, Eric K; Vonsattel, Jean-Paul; MacDonald, Marcy E et al. (2002) Selective loss of striatal preprotachykinin neurons in a phenocopy of Huntington's disease. Mov Disord 17:327-32
Chang, J W; Young, D A; Coleman, P D et al. (2001) Two-dimensional gel analysis of secreted proteins induced by interleukin-1 beta in rat astrocytes. Neurochem Int 39:349-59
Yao, P J; Weimer, J M; O'Herron, T M et al. (2000) Clathrin assembly protein AP-2 is detected in both neurons and glia, and its reduction is prominent in layer II of frontal cortex in Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiol Aging 21:921-9
Yermakova, A; O'Banion, M K (2000) Cyclooxygenases in the central nervous system: implications for treatment of neurological disorders. Curr Pharm Des 6:1755-76
Utal, A K; Coleman, P D (1999) Non-HPLC separation of water-soluble choline metabolites by two-dimensional high voltage electrophoresis and thin layer chromatography. J Neurosci Methods 90:13-21
Yermakova, A V; Rollins, J; Callahan, L M et al. (1999) Cyclooxygenase-1 in human Alzheimer and control brain: quantitative analysis of expression by microglia and CA3 hippocampal neurons. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 58:1135-46
Morsch, R; Simon, W; Coleman, P D (1999) Neurons may live for decades with neurofibrillary tangles. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 58:188-97
Callahan, L M; Vaules, W A; Coleman, P D (1999) Quantitative decrease in synaptophysin message expression and increase in cathepsin D message expression in Alzheimer disease neurons containing neurofibrillary tangles. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 58:275-87
Yao, P J; Morsch, R; Callahan, L M et al. (1999) Changes in synaptic expression of clathrin assembly protein AP180 in Alzheimer's disease analysed by immunohistochemistry. Neuroscience 94:389-94

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