BCL-2 AND BAX PROTEIN EXPRESSION IN NEUROFIBRILLARY TANGLES IN PROGRESSIVE SUPRANUCLEAR PALSY

DOUBLE-LABELING immunohistochemistry to Bcl-2 and Bar and to tau prote in was examined in the brains of patients with progressive supranuclea r palsy (PSP) to study the possible relationship between the expressio n of Bar and Bcl-2 proteins and neurofibrillary tangle formation. No d ifferences between Bcl-2 and Bar immunoreactivity in neurons of the br ain stem were observed in PSP patients and controls. Moreover, the int ensity of Bcl-2 and Bar immunoreactivity was similar in tangle-bearing and non-tangle-bearing neurons in PSP patients. These results suggest that Bcl-2 and Bar are probably not implicated in neurofibrillary tan gle formation in PSP. (C) 1998 Rapid Science Ltd.