Health economics and health policy issues in Alzheimer's disease

The membrane-active amphibian peptide caerin 1.8 inhibits fibril formation of amyloid β1-42

The amphibian host-defense peptide caerin 1.8 [(1)GLFKVLGSV(10)AKHLLPHVVP(20)VIAEKL(NH2)] inhibits fibril formation of amyloid β 1-42 [(1)DAEFRHDSG(10)YEVHHQKLVF(20)FAEDVGSNKG(30)AIIGLMVGGV(40)VIA] [Aβ42] (the major precursor of the extracellular fibrillar deposits of Alzheimer's disease). Some truncated forms of caerin 1.8 also inhibit fibril formation of Aβ42. For example, caerin 1.8 (1-13) [(1)GLFKVLGSV(10)AKHL(NH2) and caerin 1.8 (22-25) [KVLGSV(10)AKHLLPHVVP(20)VIAEKL(NH2)] show 85% and 75% respectively of the inhibition activity of the parent caerin 1.8. The synthetic peptide KLVFFKKKKKK is a known inhibitor of Aβ42 fibril formation, and was used as a standard in this study. Caerin 1.8 is the more effective fibril inhibitor. IC50 values (± 15%) are caerin 1.8 (75 μM) and KLVFFKKKKKK (370 μM). MALDI mass spectrometry shows the presence of a small peak corresponding to a protonated 1:1 adduct [caerin 1.8/Aβ42]H(+). Molecular dynamics simulation suggests that both hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions between Aβ42 and caerin 1.8 facilitate the formation of a 1:1 complex in water. Fibril formation from Aβ42 has been proposed to be based around the (16)KLVF(20)F region of Aβ42; this region in the 1:1 complex is partially blocked from attachment of a further molecule of Aβ42.

Modulation of amyloid-β 1-42 structure and toxicity by proline-rich whey peptides

A proline-rich peptide product prepared from bovine whey protein that was enriched in several hydrophobic amino acids including proline (whey proline-rich peptide, wPRP) was shown to modulate the folding pathway of human amyloid beta peptide 1-42 (Aβ42) into oligomers. Concentration-dependent changes in ThT-binding to Ab42 by wPRP indicated suppression of oligomerisation, that was supported by Transmission Electron Microscopy. Suppression of β-sheet and specifically, anti-parallel β-sheet structures by wPRP was demonstrated by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, where evidence for capacity of wPRP to dissociate pre-existing β-sheet structures in Aβ42 was also apparent. Suppression of anti-parallel β-sheets of oligomeric Aβ42 was associated with rescue of yeast and SH-SY5Y neuronal cells providing important evidence for the association between anti-parallel β-sheet structure and oligomer toxicity. It was proposed that the interaction of wPRP with Aβ42 interfered with the anti-parallel folding pathway of oligomeric Aβ42 and ultimately produced 'off-pathway' structures of lowered total β-sheet content, with attenuated cellular toxicity.