Mp. Cuajungco et al., Evidence that the beta-amyloid plaques of Alzheimer's disease represent the redox-silencing and entombment of A beta by zinc, J BIOL CHEM, 275(26), 2000, pp. 19439-19442
A beta binds Zn2+, Cu2+ and Fe3+ in vitro, and these metals are markedly el
evated in the neocortex and especially enriched in amyloid plaque deposits
of individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Zn2+ precipitates A beta in v
itro, and Cu2+ interaction with A beta promotes its neurotoxicity, correlat
ing with metal reduction and the cell-free generation of H2O2 (A beta 1-42
> A beta 1-40 > ratA beta 1-40). Because Zn2+ is redox-inert, we studied th
e possibility that it may play an inhibitory role in H2O2-mediated A beta t
oxicity. In competition to the cytotoxic potentiation caused by coincubatio
n with Cu2+, Zn2+ rescued primary cortical and human embryonic kidney 293 c
ells that were exposed to A beta 1-42, correlating with the effect of Zn2in suppressing Cu2+-dependent H2O2 formation from A beta 1-42. Since plaque
s contain exceptionally high concentrations of Zn2+, we examined the relati
onship between oxidation (8-OH guanosine) levels in AD-affected tissue and
histological amyloid burden and found a significant negative correlation. T
hese data suggest a protective role for Zn2+ in AD, where plaques form as t
he result of a more robust Zn2+ antioxidant response to the underlying oxid
ative attack.