Chrysamine G and its derivative reduce amyloid β-induced neurotoxicity in mice

The neurotoxicity of amyloid beta (Abeta) is widely believed to play a seminal role in neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease. We examined the effect of Chrysamine G (CG) on such neurotoxicity using the specific measurement of surviving neurons. CG was found to reduce the neurodegeneration induced by both the active short fragment of Abeta(25-35) and full-sized Abeta(1-40). In this study, we synthesized a new chemical compound from a monovalent structure of CG (hCG), with a lower affinity for Abeta, and compared its activity with that of CG. Both CG and hCG were found to be equally efficacious in reducing Abeta-induced neuronal death at a concentration of 0.1-1 muM, indicating that the mechanism of action for CG was not due to its chelating activity, but rather due to its anti-oxidant activity. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.