Oxidative stress after acute and chronic application of beta-amyloid fragment 25-35 in cortical cultures

Neurosci Lett. 1996 Jan 12;203(1):61-5. doi: 10.1016/0304-3940(95)12250-8.

Abstract

The aim of this work was to investigate whether free radical reactions play a role in beta-amyloid neurotoxicity. Rat cortical neurons were exposed acutely (24 h) or chronically (3, 7 days) to beta-amyloid biologically active fragment beta 25-35 (50 microM). In these conditions, where only the longest exposure induced neuronal death, superoxide dismutase activity was increased after acute exposure but no change was detected after chronic treatments, whereas a different pattern was observed for glutathione peroxidase. In the basal condition, there was an eight-fold increase in dichlorofluoroscein, used as peroxide production marker, in neuronal cells after 7 days treatment with beta 25-35. Moreover, the intracellular peroxide production induced by Fe2+/ascorbate stimulation was amplified by beta 25-35, increasingly up to 7 days of exposure, by which time the dichlorofluoroscein-stimulated levels were 33 times higher than in controls. In conclusion, our results show that oxidative stress and free radical production are linked to beta 25-35 exposure and may contribute to neurodegenerative events associated with beta-amyloid deposits in Alzheimer's disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease / metabolism
  • Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / pharmacology*
  • Animals
  • Cells, Cultured / drug effects
  • Cerebral Cortex / drug effects*
  • Oxidative Stress*
  • Rats
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor