@article{493eaf18b7fc4f3d9b8f97c15842f65b,
title = "Aged chimpanzees exhibit pathologic hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease",
abstract = "Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a uniquely human brain disorder characterized by the accumulation of amyloid-beta protein (Aβ) into extracellular plaques, neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) made from intracellular, abnormally phosphorylated tau, and selective neuronal loss. We analyzed a large group of aged chimpanzees (n = 20, age 37–62 years) for evidence of Aβ and tau lesions in brain regions affected by AD in humans. Aβ was observed in plaques and blood vessels, and tau lesions were found in the form of pretangles, NFT, and tau-immunoreactive neuritic clusters. Aβ deposition was higher in vessels than in plaques and correlated with increases in tau lesions, suggesting that amyloid build-up in the brain's microvasculature precedes plaque formation in chimpanzees. Age was correlated to greater volumes of Aβ plaques and vessels. Tangle pathology was observed in individuals that exhibited plaques and moderate or severe cerebral amyloid angiopathy, a condition in which amyloid accumulates in the brain's vasculature. Amyloid and tau pathology in aged chimpanzees suggests these AD lesions are not specific to the human brain.",
keywords = "Alzheimer's disease, Amyloid-beta protein, Chimpanzee, Neurofibrillary tangle, Primate, Tau",
author = "Edler, {Melissa K.} and Sherwood, {Chet C.} and Meindl, {Richard S.} and Hopkins, {William D.} and Ely, {John J.} and Erwin, {Joseph M.} and Mufson, {Elliott J.} and Hof, {Patrick R.} and Raghanti, {Mary Ann}",
note = "Funding Information: Postmortem brain specimens from 20 aged chimpanzees ( Table 1 ) were acquired from Association of Zoos and Aquariums–accredited zoos or American Association for Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care–accredited research institutions and maintained in accordance with each institution's animal care guidelines. Chimpanzee brain specimens were provided by the National Chimpanzee Brain Resource (supported by NIH grant NS092988), and health information has been included when possible ( Table S1 ). The chimpanzees in this study did not participate in formal behavioral or cognitive testing. Sample selection was balanced by sex for age as equally as possible. Samples from 4 brain regions, including prefrontal cortex (Brodmann areas 9 and 10), middle temporal gyrus (Brodmann area 21), and hippocampal subregions CA1 and CA3 (including subiculum and entorhinal cortex [EC]), were obtained from 8 male (age 39-62) and 12 female (age 37-58) chimpanzees. Funding Information: The authors would like to thank Jennifer Chilton for her assistance with health records, Dr. Jason R. Richardson for his editorial revisions, Dr. Peter Davies for providing tau antibodies, Dr. Michael Model for his confocal microscopy expertise, and Cheryl Stimpson, Bridget Wicinski, and Emily Munger for their technical assistance. Supported by grants from the NSF (BCS-1316829 to MAR), NIH (NS042867, NS073134, and NS092988 to WDH and CCS; AG017802 to JJE; AG014308 to JME; AG005138 to PRH; and AG014449 and AG043775 to EJM), James S. McDonnell Foundation (220020293 to CCS), Sigma Xi, Kent State University Research Council, and Kent State University Graduate Student Senate. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2017 Elsevier Inc.",
year = "2017",
month = nov,
doi = "10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2017.07.006",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "59",
pages = "107--120",
journal = "Neurobiology of Aging",
issn = "0197-4580",
publisher = "Elsevier Inc.",
}