Human antibodies reactive with beta-amyloid protein in Alzheimer's disease.

Four human B cell lines established by Epstein-Barr viral transformation of B cells from a patient with a clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) were found to secrete antibodies that react with plaques and cerebrovascular blood vessels in AD brain in a staining profile characteristic of beta-amyloid protein (beta-AP) in AD brain. Two of these antibodies were shown to be reactive with a rare plaque in a normal brain. In these studies, immunofluorescence and avidin-biotin complex immunoperoxidase methodology were used to determine antibody reaction, and thioflavine S was used to double label amyloid and neurofibrillary tangles. The four antibodies also reacted with neurons in normal and AD brain. Absorption studies, dot immunoblots, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays with beta-amyloid peptides 1-28 (beta-A1-28) and 1-40 (beta-A1-40) indicate the major determinant of the reactive epitope is located in the region of amino acids 1-28 of beta-AP. However, inhibition studies demonstrate a significant contribution to the antigenic determinant by the 29-40 region of the beta-A1-40. These antibodies represent the first human autoantibodies against beta-AP. The pathological significance of these autoantibodies is discussed.

CO2 reactivity and heterogeneity of cerebral blood flow in ischemic, border zone, and normal cortex

Regional arterial CO2 tension (PaCO2) reactivity of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and the effect of PaCO2 on the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of CBF were investigated by using autoradiographically determined CBF in the rat middle cerebral artery occlusion model after a 2-h period under pentobarbital anesthesia to clarify the relation between PaCO2 reactivity, CBF heterogeneity, and the temporal cycling of CBF. PaCO2 was adjusted to one of four levels. CBF was determined in four cortical areas and white matter using the tissue fractionation of [14C]iodoantipyrine [( 14C]IAP) in combination with vessel mapping using in vivo 4% thioflavine S. Specific PaCO2 reactivity and CBF were normal in the nonischemic cortex, normal, although slightly depressed, in the border zone far from the ischemic core area, and depressed in the border zone adjacent to the ischemic core area (P less than 0.001) and the ischemic core (P less than 0.001). In normocapnic and hypocapnic animals, CBF heterogeneity in the form of regularly spaced CBF columns perpendicular to the cortical surface was observed in the nonischemic hemisphere but was absent in the ischemic core area. In hypercapnic rats, flow columns were present in the ischemic core areas and border zones but were absent on the nonischemic side. There was a highly significant interaction (P less than 0.0001) in observer-determined heterogeneity grades between PaCO2 level and each of three areas, normal, border zone, and ischemic core. In normal cortex, comparison of the thioflavine S-stained vessels with the flow columns provided evidence supporting the concept of capillary recruitment and cycling as a mode of normal cerebral blood flow control. The presence of flow columns in severely ischemic areas in hypercapnic animals indicates that a short period of high PaCO2 transiently augments microregional flow and could enhance the delivery of a therapeutic agent to these microregions of the ischemic core. The regional analysis of PaCO2 reactivity suggests an index of future tissue viability.