Aluminium-induced neurodegeneration in the hippocampus of aged rabbits mimics Alzheimer's disease

The aluminium (Al)-treated aged rabbit has been proposed as an animal model to understand neuronal cell death in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain. Immun ohistochemical studies show here that Al-maltolate treated aged rabbit brai n resembles AD neuropathology in terms of neurofibrillary tangles (NFT), ox idative stress, PHF1, and A beta deposition and the co-localization of abov e events with apoptosis in neuronal cells in hippocampus region. To our kno wledge, this is the first evidence showing Al-maltolate induced neuropathol ogical changes in the hippocampal region of aged rabbit brain mimicing the neuropathology of AD. This model may serve as a useful animal model to unde rstand the mechanism of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease.