Journal
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH
Volume 75, Issue 4, Pages 565-572Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1002/jnr.10877
Keywords
aging; Alzheimer's disease; inflammatory cytokines; amyloid beta; microglial activation
Categories
Funding
- NIA NIH HHS [AG-16794, AG-018884] Funding Source: Medline
- NIEHS NIH HHS [ES 7992] Funding Source: Medline
Ask authors/readers for more resources
A link between aluminum (Al) exposure and age-related neurological disorders has long been proposed. Although the exact mechanism by which the metal may influence disease processes is unknown, there is evidence that exposure to Al causes an increase in both oxidative stress and inflammatory events. These processes have also been suggested to play a role in Alzheimer's disease (AD), and exposure to the metal may contribute to the disorder by potentiating these events. Al lactate (0.01, 0.1, and 1 mM) in drinking water for 10 weeks increased inflammatory processes in the brains of mice. The lowest of these levels is in the range found to increase the prevalence of AD in regions where the concentrations of the metal are elevated in residential drinking water (Flaten [2001] Brain Res. Bull. 55:187-196). Nuclear factor-kappaB as well as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin 1alpha (IL-1alpha) levels were increased in the brains of treated animals. The mRNA for TNF-alpha was also up-regulated following treatment. Enhancement of glial fibrillary acidic protein levels and reactive microglia was seen in the striatum of Al-treated animals. The level of amyloid beta (Abeta(40)) was not significantly altered in the brains of exposed animals. Insofar as no parallel changes were observed in the serum or liver of treated animals, the proinflarnmatory effects of the metal may be selective to the brain. Al exposure may not be sufficient to cause abnormal production of the principal component of senile plaques directly but does exacerbate underlying events associated with brain aging and thus could contribute to progression of neurodegeneration. (C) 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available