PMID: 2481323Jan 1, 1989Paper

Alzheimer type dementia: diffuse type of senile plaques demonstrated by beta protein immunostaining.

Progress in Clinical and Biological Research
H YamaguchiY Nakazato

Abstract

We classified senile plaques (SP) into 4 types: diffuse, primitive, classic, and compact. Here, we studied the nature of diffuse plaques in the brains of 6 autopsied subjects with senile dementia of the Alzheimer type (SDAT). In the entorhinal cortex, both the modified Bielschowsky stain (108%) and periodic acid-methenamine silver (PAM) stain (111%) revealed a number of SP similar to that labeled by beta protein immunostain (100% as standard). The Bodian stain, however, labeled only a minor proportion (37%) of SP. The vast majority of Bodian-negative plaques, which were devoid of swollen neurites, were diffuse plaques. They were seen as ill-defined areas of fine fibrillar materials. Diffuse plaques were argyrophilic when labeled by the modified Bielschowsky and PAM stains. However, they became undetectable when sections were pretreated with formic acid. Formic acid pretreatment made the diffuse plaques immunoreactive with beta protein antiserum. Alzheimer's neurofibrillary tangles (ANT) and the neuritic components of the primitive and classic plaques remained argyrophilic even after pretreatment with formic acid. Our findings suggest that formic acid pretreatment selectively abolishes the argyrophilia of the amyloid-related com...Continue Reading

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Alzheimer's Disease: Amyloid Beta

Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disease associated with the accumulation of amyloid plaques in the brain; these plaques are comprised of amyloid beta deposits. Here is the latest research in this field.

Alzheimer's Disease: APP

Amyloid precursor protein (APP) proteolysis is critical for the development of Alzheimer's disease, a neurodegenerative disease associated with accumulation of amyloid plaques in the brain. Here is the latest research on APP and Alzheimer's disease.