Accelerated pre-senile systemic amyloidosis in PACAP knockout mice - a protective role of PACAP in age-related degenerative processes.

ABSTRACT: Dysregulation of neuropeptides may play an important role in aging-induced impairments. Among them, pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a potent cytoprotective peptide that provides an endogenous control against a variety of tissue-damaging stimuli. We hypothesized that the progressive decline of PACAP throughout life and the well-known general cytoprotective effects of PACAP lead to age-related pathophysiological changes in PACAP deficiency, supported by the increased vulnerability to various stressors of animals partially or totally lacking PACAP. Using young and aging CD1 PACAP knockout (KO) and wild type (WT) mice, we demonstrated pre-senile amyloidosis in young PACAP KO animals and showed that senile amyloidosis appeared accelerated, more generalized, more se

SUBMITTER: Reglodi D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6055756 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature