Increasing membrane cholesterol of neurons in culture recapitulates Alzheimer's disease early phenotypes.

ABSTRACT:

Background

It is suspected that excess of brain cholesterol plays a role in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Membrane-associated cholesterol was shown to be increased in the brain of individuals with sporadic AD and to correlate with the severity of the disease. We hypothesized that an increase of membrane cholesterol could trigger sporadic AD early phenotypes.

Results

We thus acutely loaded the plasma membrane of cultured neurons with cholesterol to reach the 30% increase observed in AD brains. We found changes in gene expression profiles that are reminiscent of early AD stages. We also observed early AD cellular phenotypes. Indeed we found enlarged and aggregated early endosomes using confocal and electron microscopy after immunocytochemistry. In addition amyloid precursor protei

SUBMITTER: Marquer C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4280040 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature