Neuropathology and apolipoprotein E profile of aged chimpanzees: implications for Alzheimer disease

Neuropathological findings in three aged chimpanzees were compared with those in rhesus monkeys and individuals with Alzheimer disease. Senile plaques and blood vessels were immunoreactive for amyloid beta-protein and apolipoprotein E (apoE) in the nonhuman primates, recapitulating findings in human aging and Alzheimer disease. Neurofibrillary tangles, another hallmark of Alzheimer disease, were absent. PCR/restriction-enzyme analysis in chimpanzees revealed an APOE profile similar to the human APOE type 4 allele associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer disease. These findings militate against the hypothesis that the absence of APOE type 3 allele predisposes to neurofibrillary tangle formation and support the value of aged primates for exploring mechanisms of amyloid processing and the role of apoE.