Apolipoprotein E isoform-specific reduction of extracellular amyloid in neuronal cultures

Both apolipoprotein E (apoE) and amyloid peptides are associated with Alzhe imer's disease (AD). Using primary hippocampal neurons, we demonstrate that apoE is capable of reducing potentially toxic extracellular amyloid peptid es, likely through a receptor mediated mechanism. We hypothesize that isofo rm-specific differences in apoE-mediated amyloid clearance and intracellula r accumulation may be responsible, at least in part, for the increased numb er of amyloid plaques observed in apoE epsilon 4 allele AD individuals. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.