Neuroscience Letters 1993-10-14

Toxic effect of a beta-amyloid peptide (beta 22-35) on the hippocampal neuron and its prevention.

T Takadera, N Sakura, T Mohri, T Hashimoto

Index: Neurosci. Lett. 161 , 41, (1993)

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Abstract

A synthetic truncated beta-amyloid peptide, beta 22-35, was shown to have a cytotoxic effect on cultured neurons from the rat hippocampus in serum-free medium. The peptide formed aggregates and typical amyloid fibrils resembling those of the beta-amyloid protein (AP) in neutral buffer solution and showed characteristic staining with Congo red and thioflavin-S. The neurotoxicity of beta 22-35 was suppressed by addition of calf serum, dibutyryl cAMP or insulin to culture medium, but not by addition of NGF or substance P. beta 22-35 had no effect on the glial cells. These results suggest that the AP can induce neurotoxicity in the hippocampal cells in vitro and the toxicity may involve a disorder in the intracellular signal transduction.