Yager, Debra

JNPL3 transgenic mice expressing a mutant tau protein, which develop neurofibrillary tangles and progressive motor disturbance, were crossed with Tg2576 transgenic mice expressing mutant β-amyloid precursor protein (APP), thus modulating the APP-Aβ (β-amyloid peptide) environment. The resulting double mutant (tau/APP) progeny and the Tg2576 parental strain developed Aβ deposits at the same age; however, relative to JNPL3 mice, the double mutants exhibited neurofibrillary tangle pathology that was substantially enhanced in the limbic system and olfactory cortex. These results indicate that either APP or Aβ influences the formation of neurofibrillary tangles. The interaction between Aβ and tau pathologies in these mice supports the hypothesis that a similar interaction occurs in Alzheimer's disease.

ABSTRACT The abnormal accumulation of the amyloid β protein (Aβ) has been implicated as an early and critical event in the etiology and pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Compounds that reduce Aβ accumulation may therefore be useful therapeutically. In cell‐based screens we detected a significant reduction in Aβ concentration after treatment with the phosphatidylinositol kinase inhibitors wortmannin and LY294002. To determine the effect of this class of compounds on in vivo Aβ accumulation, we administered wortmannin to the Tg2576 mouse model of AD. Oral administration of wortmannin over four months resulted in a significant, non‐overlapping 40%–50% reduction in the number of senile plaques, one of the pathological hallmarks of AD. Sandwich ELISA analysis of formic acid extractable Aβ in the brain of treated animals indicates that both Aβ40 and the longer, more amyloidogenic form of the peptide, Aβ42, were significantly reduced. These data provide the first direct evidence that compounds identified by their ability to reduce Aβ concentration in vitro can reduce Aβ accumulation and deposition in the brain, thus establishing a basic paradigm for the identification and evaluation of additional compounds that lower Aβ accumulation.