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-1-Antichymotrypsin in the Aging Mouse Brain and in Alzheimer's Disease

§





¶
From Dipartimento di Patologia Sperimentale,*
University
of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; the Departments of
Neurosciences
and
Pathology,¶
University of California
San Diego, La Jolla, California; the Department of
Neuropharmacology,§
The Scripps Research
Institute, La Jolla, California; and the Department of Medicine
(Neurology),
Joseph and Katleen Bryan
Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Duke University Medical Center,
Durham, North Carolina
| Abstract |
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-1-antichymotrypsin in the aging mouse brain and
in Alzheimer's disease. For this purpose, levels of EB22/5
(the mouse homologue to human
-1-antichymotrypsin) mRNA expression
was studied in apoE-deficient mice. These mice showed an age-dependent
increase of EB22/5 mRNA expression in the brain. Furthermore,
overexpression of allele 3 of human APOE gene in transgenic mice (in an
apoE-deficient background) resulted in normalization of levels of
EB22/5 mRNA expression compatible with levels found in control mice. In
contrast, overexpression of human APOE4 allele or
down-regulation of the apoE receptor low density lipoprotein
receptor-related protein by deletion of the receptor-associated protein
was associated with elevated levels of EB22/5 similar to apoE-deficient
mice. Consistent with the findings in murine models, human
-1-antichymotrypsin protein was increased in brain homogenates from
patients with Alzheimer's disease, and levels of this serpin
were the highest in patients with the APOE4 allele. In summary,
the present study showed evidence supporting a role for apoE in
regulating
-1-antichymotrypsin expression. This is relevant to
Alzheimer's disease because these two molecules appear to be closely
associated with the pathogenesis of this disorder.
| Introduction |
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-1-Antichymotrypsin (ACT) is one of the serpins that has been shown
to be altered in AD.8
ACT, as well as other serpins, are
important components of amyloid deposits which represent one
neuropathological hallmark of AD.9
ACT binds Aß-peptide
and can affect the rate of amyloid fibril formation in
vitro.10-12
The above findings, together with the
observation that mRNA expression of ACT is increased in astrocytes
surrounding the neurodegenerative lesions of AD
brains,13,14
has led to the hypothesis that ACT may play a
role in the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration associated with AD. ApoE
and ACT share some functional characteristics, since they both
colocalize in ß-amyloid deposits, bind to Aß-peptides, and affect
fibril formation, which may be important in the pathogenesis of the
disease. Recently, we found that ACT levels in AD brains correlated
with activated astrocytes scattered in the neuropil and these scattered
astrocytes were increased in AD patients with the APOE4
allele.15
However, possible relationships between these
two molecules in AD pathogenesis are still largely to be determined. In
this context, the main objective of the present study was to better
understand the functional relationship between apoE and ACT during
aging of the brain and in AD. For this purpose, levels of EB22/5 (also
known as contrapsin-2) which is the murine homologue to human ACT16,17
were evaluated in the brains of young and aged
apoE-deficient mice, transgenic mice overexpressing human apoE3 and
apoE4, as well as in mice where the apoE receptor low density
lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP) was down-regulated by
deleting the 39-kd receptor-associated protein (RAP).18
To
further validate the results observed in the experimental animal
models, levels of ACT were determined in the brains of control and AD
cases bearing the APOE3 and/or APOE4 alleles. Our study supports a role
for apoE in regulating ACT in aging and in AD.
| Materials and Methods |
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ApoE-deficient homozygous mice (n = 3, 3 months; n = 5, 6 months; n = 5, 8 months; n = 4, 9 months; n = 2, 15 months; n = 2, 24 months) were obtained by cross-breeding heterozygous mutants that were kindly provided by Dr. J. Breslow (Rockefeller University, New York, NY).19 Characterization of homozygosity or heterozygosity for apoE-deficient mice was carried out by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with DNA extracted from the tail, as previously described.20 In addition, a total of 10 wild-type mice were used for the study (n = 2, 3 months; n = 5, 6 months; n = 5, 9 months; n = 2, 15 months; n = 2, 24 months).
ApoE3 heterozygous (n = 5, 12 months) and apoE4 heterozygous (n = 5, 12 months) transgenic mice were obtained by cross-breeding heterozygous transgenic mice in a homozygous apoE-deficient background. Briefly, mice were obtained by microinjecting genomic sequences for human APOE3 or APOE4 into single-cell embryos from apoE-deficient mice.21 Confirmation of the presence of human APOE and absence of endogenous mouse APOE gene was done by PCR as previously described.21
RAP-deficient homozygous mice (n = 5, 12 months) were obtained by cross-breeding heterozygous mutants from Jackson Laboratories (Bar Harbor, ME). Briefly, as previously described18 these mice were generated by recombination of the neo cassette with exon 1 of the RAP gene. Confirmation of the genotype was done by PCR as previously described.22
Murine Tissue Preparation
Anesthetized mice were perfused with cold saline and their brains removed. The left hemibrain was frozen in liquid nitrogen and the right hemibrain was immersion-fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde in phosphate-buffered saline, pH 7.4. Poly(A)+ RNA was isolated as previously described23 from frozen hemibrains. Fixed hemibrains were paraffin-embedded and serially sectioned (10 µm) for hematoxylin and eosin/cresyl violet staining or in situ hybridization.
Analysis of RNA Expression in Mouse Brain Samples
For the analysis of gene product expression, RNase protection
assays (RPA) were performed as previously described.23
Multiprobe sets were used that permitted simultaneous detection of
various cytokine mRNAs, such as interleukin (IL)-1
, IL-1ß, IL-2,
IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, or IL-6, interferon-
, tumor necrosis factor
(TNF)-
and TNF-ß, or the mRNA expression of the following cellular
response genes: EB22/5, glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP),
intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), inducible nitric oxide
synthase (iNOS), and the macrophage adhesion molecule-1 (Mac-1). The
development and characterization of the cytokine24
and
cellular response23
RPA probe sets were described
previously.23
A cloned fragment of the ribosomal protein
RPL32 (L32) cDNA was used as a control of RNA loading.23
In situ hybridization was carried out using 35S-labeled cRNA corresponding to EB22/5 sense and antisense riboprobes essentially as described previously.23 The probe for EB22/5 was synthesized from the pGEM4 vector that contained a 1.8-kb EcoRI fragment of EB22/5.16 Briefly, paraffin sections were treated with proteinase K, incubated in prehybridization solution and hybridized with riboprobes at 60°C. Sections were exposed to film and developed 3 days to 2 weeks later. These sections were then dipped in Kodak NTB-2 emulsion and developed 10 days later.
Characterization and Processing of Human Brain Specimens
Twenty-nine autopsy cases from the Alzheimer's Disease Research
Center at UCSD were used for the present study. Of them, 25 were
clinically and histopathologically diagnosed25
as AD and 4
as controls (Table 1)
. For all cases, the
postmortem delay was approximately 6 hours. APOE genotyping was
performed by PCR as previously described26
(Table 1)
.
Paraffin sections from cortical and subcortical regions were stained
with hematoxylin and eosin, thioflavin-S, and cresyl violet for routine
histopathological examination and morphometric analysis, as previously
described.27
Additional paraffin sections were
immunostained with the monoclonal antibody against amyloid ß-protein
(clone 10D5, Athena Neurosciences, San Francisco, CA), as previously
described28
and analyzed with the Quantimet 570C to
determine the percent area of the neuropil covered by amyloid (Table 1)
.
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Brain homogenates of the mid frontal cortex were prepared as follows: 0.1 g of specimens were dissected from mid-frontal area of frozen tissues and homogenized in 0.9 ml of cold buffer (1 mmol/L HEPES, 5 mmol/L benzamide, 2 mmol/L 2-mercaptoethanol, 3 mmol/L EDTA, 3 mmol/L EDTA, 0.5 mmol/L MgSO4, 0.05% sodium azide, pH 8.8) containing 0.01 mg/ml leupeptin. Homogenates were centrifuged (5000 x g) for 10 minutes at 4°C, and supernatants were collected and centrifuged again (100,000 x g) for 1 hour at 4°C. Protein determination was performed according to the method of Lowry29 and samples were stored at -80°C.
Levels of human ACT, inhibitor of the complement C1 component (C1-I), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured by a radial immunodiffusion kit (NANORID; the Binding Site, Birmingham, UK) as previously described.30 The lowest detectable level of ACT, C1-I, or CRP was 0.1 mg/l.
Statistical Analysis
Both murine and human samples were examined blind and the diagnosis and genotype were assigned only after the experiments were completed. Comparisons among groups of mouse or human samples were performed using one-way analysis of variance followed by post hoc comparisons using the Fisher test. All results were expressed as means ± SEM.
| Results |
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Since the main objective of the present study was to determine
whether apoE regulates the expression of ACT, levels of EB22/5 (murine
homologue of human ACT) were determined by RPA in the brains of
apoE-deficient mice. EB22/5 mRNA was detected at low levels in
wild-type samples. In contrast apoE-deficient mice showed a sevenfold
increase in EB22/5 mRNA levels (Figure 1, A and B)
.To determine whether the increased expression of EB22/5 mRNA
in apoE-deficient mice was the result of either a direct interaction
between apoE and ACT or a secondary response to brain injury, levels of
GFAP, ICAM-1, iNOS, A20, and Mac-1 mRNA were determined. No significant
difference in levels of expression for all these molecules associated
with glial cell reactivity was observed between wild-type and
apoE-deficient mice (Figure 1A)
. Additional RPA analysis for IL-1 and
IL-6 mRNAs showed that these molecules were not detectable in either
wild-type or apoE-deficient animals (data not shown).
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To determine whether the increase in EB22/5 levels if
apoE-deficient mice was developmental or related to the aging process,
levels of EB22/5 were determined in wild-type and apoE-deficient mice
ranging in age from 3 to 24 months. At 3 months of age levels of EB22/5
were similar in wild-type and apoE-deficient mice (Figure 3)
. However, at 6 months of age
there was a dramatic sixfold increase in EB22/5 mRNA expression in
apoE-deficient mice, which remained elevated during their life spans
(Figure 3)
.
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To determine whether the elevation in the apoE-deficient mice was
more efficiently corrected by apoE3 versus apoE4, levels of
EB22/5 mRNA expression were analyzed in the brains of apoE3- and apoE4-
transgenic mice. This study showed that apoE3 was more effective in
reestablishing the normal levels of EB22/5 expression in the endogenous
apoE-deficient background, when compared to apoE4 transgenic mice
(Figure 4)
. Levels of EB22/5 mRNA were
still moderately elevated in apoE4 transgenic mice, when compared to
both wild-type and apoE3 transgenic mice (Figure 4)
. Since previous
studies have shown that the cellular effects of apoE are mediated by
LRP,31,32
we wanted to determine whether the effects of
apoE on ACT were mediated by this receptor. For this purpose, levels of
EB22/5 were determined in RAP-deficient mice. These mice were selected,
as previous studies have shown, these mice are viable despite a 75%
reduction in the levels of LRP.18
Homozygous LRP-deficient
mice cannot be used for these experiments because they are not
viable.18
Compared to the wild-type mice, levels of EB22/5
were elevated in the RAP-deficient mice (Figure 4)
. However, these
levels were lower compared to the apoE-deficient mice, but comparable
to levels observed in apoE4 transgenic mice (Figure 4)
. This supports
the possibility that the effects of apoE on ACT might be mediated by
LRP.
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Since the presence of the allele 4 of APOE is associated with risk
for AD33
and studies in apoE4 transgenic mice showed that
apoE4 was less effective than apoE3 in reducing levels of EB22/5
expression in apoE-deficient mice (Figure 4)
, we wanted to determine
whether a similar APOE allele effect could be observed in AD brains.
For this purpose, levels of ACT were determined in brain cytosolic
fractions from AD and non-demented controls with different APOE
genotypes (Figure 5)
. Overall levels of
ACT were significantly increased in AD compared to controls (Figure 5A)
. However, among AD cases, those with APOE 4/4 genotype showed the
highest ACT levels when compared to controls (Figure 5B)
. Differences
in ACT brain levels between AD patients with APOE 4/4 or APOE 3/4 and
those with APOE 3/3 were also significant (Figure 5B)
. Differences of
ACT levels between patients with APOE 4/4 and those with APOE 3/4 were
not significant (Figure 5B)
. To further determine whether changes in
ACT expression in AD cases were related to apoE effects or to a
systemic reactive condition, levels of C1-I and CRP were determined.
This analysis showed no significant differences between control and AD
(not shown).
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| Discussion |
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Alternatively, post-transcriptional effects of apoE on ACT might be related to alterations in cholesterol levels associated with the apoE-deficient state of the mice,13 since apoE is a well known cholesterol carrier that is produced by astrocytes within the brain.1 In apoE-deficient mice, there is a significant increase in plasma cholesterol levels,13 and cholesterol content in the neuronal membrane is abnormal.36 Similarly, ACT is known to bind cholesterol as well as other hydrophobic molecules.37 Also, serpins have been shown to bind cholesterol and other lipids.38 This could indicate that abnormal cholesterol levels might trigger ACT up-regulation as a compensatory response to bind and transport cholesterol in the apoE-deficient mice.
Cholesterol transport in the CNS might be necessary to maintain synaptic plasticity and neuronal repair after injury or during aging.39-41 In some models, apoE deficits are associated with neurodegeneration, abnormal repair after injury and neurophysiological deficits,20,42-45 However, there is some variability in the results observed with these paradigms in apoE-deficient mice.42,46,47 Then, in models such as ours where neurodegeneration is observed, an alternative explanation for the increased EB22/5 in the apoE-deficient mice might be related with astroglial response to neuronal injury.
Since previous studies have shown that higher risk for AD is associated with the presence of the allele 4 of APOE33 and in vitro and in vivo models apoE3 appears to be more bioactive than apoE,44,48 we seek to determine whether one isoform was more effective than the other. In this respect, it is of interest that apoE4 was less effective than apoE3 at reestablishing the baseline levels of EB22/5 expression in apoE-deficient mice. This data are in accordance with the in vivo studies in human brain showing significant increase in ACT cases with APOE4 alleles and with other studies showing that apoE4 was less effective that apoE3 in promoting in vitro neurite extension.49,50 Furthermore, overexpression of apoE4 has deleterious effects in the CNS of transgenic mice when compared to apoE3 or non-transgenic littermates.51 This suggests that apoE4 might represent a metabolically abnormal isoform, since in humans apoE4 showed a faster catabolism then apoE3, induced a rapid catabolism of cholesterol-enriched particles and was associated with increased plasma and LDL cholesterol concentrations.52
Finally, to gain more knowledge as to the potential mechanisms involved in ACT regulation by apoE, we determined the levels of EB22/5 in RAP-deficient mice and showed a persistent elevation of EB22/5 in RAP-deficient mice. ApoE is a ligand for LRP32 and RAP is a 39-kd molecule that regulates LRP transport to the cell membrane and functional properties of this receptor.32 In fact, RAP-deficient mice showed a reduced expression of LRP18 associated with altered neurotransmitter expression and behavioral deficits.22 Furthermore, LRP has been recently shown to mediate the physiological effects of apoE.49,53,54 Taken together, these studies suggest that the effects of apoE on ACT might be mediated via LRP. However, the precise intracellular events involved are unclear since LRP has not yet been linked to an intracellular signaling pathway.
In summary, the present study showed evidence supporting a role for apoE in regulating ACT expression via LRP, which is relevant to AD since these molecules appear to be closely associated with the pathogenesis of this neurodegenerative disorder.
| Footnotes |
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Supported by grants from the Italian Ministero dell'Universita e della Recercia Scientifica e Tecnologia and Associazione de Ricerca e Assistenze delle Demenze (to FL), National Institutes of Health Grants AG5131 and AG10869, The Broad Foundation, Alzheimer's Association, and EBEWE (to EM).
Accepted for publication May 24, 1999.
| References |
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-1-antichymotrypsin in brain dysfunction and injury. Res Immunol 1992, 143:631-636[Medline]
-1-antichymotrypsin in brain of patients with Alzheimer's disease correlate with activated astrocytes and are affected by APOE4 genotype. J Neuroimmunol 1998, 88:105-110[Medline]
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-1-antichymotrypsin expression in human cortical astrocytes. J Biol Chem 1998, 273:4112-4118
-1-proteinase inhibitor. FEBS Lett 1993, 316:269-272[Medline]
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