Tissue processing prior to analysis of Alzheimer's disease associated proteins and metabolites, including Aβ

Amyloid-containing tissue, whether from human patients or an animal model of a disease, is typically characterized by various biochemical and immunohistochemical techniques, many of which are described in detail in this volume. In this chapter, we describe a straightforward technique for the homogenization of tissue prior to these analyses. The technique is particularly well suited for performing a large number of different biochemical analyses on a single mouse brain hemisphere. Starting with this homogenate multiple characterizations can be done, including western blot analysis and isolation of membrane-associated proteins, both of which are described here. Additional analyses can readily be performed on the tissue homogenate, including the ELISA quantitation of Aβ in the brain of a transgenic mouse model of β-amyloid deposition. The ELISA technique is described in detail in Chapter 34.