Somatostatin-like immunoreactivity within neuritic plaques

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Neuropathology

Background:

• Alzheimer's disease (AD), or senile dementia of the Alzheimer type (SDAT), is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder.
• Pathologically, AD is characterized by neurofibrillary tangles and neuritic plaques in the neocortex.
• Reduced levels of neurotransmitters and neuropeptides, including somatostatin, are observed in SDAT brains and correlate with neuritic plaque concentration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if somatostatin-containing neurons are involved in the formation of neuritic plaques in Alzheimer's disease.
• To investigate the association between somatostatinergic neurons and neuropathological lesions in SDAT.

Main Methods:

• Light microscopic immunocytochemistry was utilized.
• Examination of cortical regions from autopsied brains of patients with SDAT.

Main Results:

• 20-50% of all examined neuritic plaques contained somatostatin-positive profiles.
• These findings indicate that processes of somatostatinergic neurons are associated with neuritic plaque formation in Alzheimer's disease.

Conclusions:

• Somatostatinergic neurons are implicated in the neuropathology of Alzheimer's disease.
• The study provides evidence for the association of somatostatin-containing neuronal processes with neuritic plaques.