Evidence for apoptosis in the fetal Down syndrome brain

In Down syndrome, enhanced apoptosis (programmed cell death) may play a role in the pathogenesis of characteristic early mental retardation and precocious neurodegeneration of Alzheimer type. Various apoptosis-associated proteins (Bax, Bcl-2, Fas, p53, Hsp70, neuronal apoptosis inhibitory protein-like immunoreactivity) were investigated in four different cortical regions and the cerebellum of one fetal Down syndrome (35 weeks' gestation) postmortem brain sample compared with a control brain sample. The most impressive finding was an at least fivefold elevation of Bax protein together with decreased Bcl-2 values in all Down syndrome cerebral regions investigated. In addition, antiapoptotic, presumably caspase-inhibitory, principles like heat shock protein 70 and neuronal apoptosis inhibitory protein were also reduced. Whereas Fas protein, an important member of receptor-mediated apoptosis, was inconsistently altered, a rather surprising finding was reduced proapoptotic, regulatory protein p53 in four of five regions. The findings are in good agreement with the proposed role of the Bcl-2 protein family in regulating developmental (naturally occurring) apoptotic neuronal death and further suggest that developmental apoptosis may be inappropriately commandeered by so far undefined pathologic processes in Down syndrome.