Intracellular inositol (1,4,5)-trisphosphate receptor levels are preserved in Alzheimer's disease platelets

Calcium ion transients in neutrophils from patients with sporadic Alzheimer's disease

Abnormalities involving intracellular calcium homeostasis have been detected in Alzheimer's disease brain and fibroblasts as well as presenilin-1 mutation-bearing cells. In the present study we investigated inositol(1,4,5)trisphosphate-mediated calcium transients as well as calcium responses via mechanisms not related to surface receptors in Alzheimer's disease polymorphonuclear (PMN) granulocytes, using the tripeptide formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenyl alanine (fMLP) and calcium ionophore ionomycin, respectively. fMLP elicited a biphasic response with an initial, fast increase in intracellular free calcium concentrations followed by a second, lower phase with no significant differences in either maximal response or time course between Alzheimer's disease granulocytes and controls. Similarly, the calcium signal elicited after ionomycin exposure was unchanged in Alzheimer's disease PMN. In conclusion, these results indicate that calcium mobilization from intracellular stores and via cross-membrane mechanisms is intact in Alzheimer's disease granulocytes.

Comparison of the effects of hydrogen peroxide, 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal and beta-amyloid (25-35) upon calcium signalling

The neurotoxic beta-amyloid (Abeta) peptide fragment Abeta(25-35) has been suggested to exert its deleterious effects on cells via production of hydrogen peroxide. In human platelets and in the presence of DMSO to prevent production of hydroxyl radicals from hydrogen peroxide, both Abeta(25-35) and hydrogen peroxide were found to increase intracellular calcium levels. Hydrogen peroxide in addition reduced the calcium response to thrombin, whereas this was not seen with Abeta(25-35). A similar pattern of effects to those seen with hydrogen peroxide were also seen with the neurotoxic aldehyde lipid peroxidation product 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE). The initial increase in calcium produced by hydrogen peroxide was not affected by EGTA, but was partially prevented by dithiothreitol. The calcium response to Abeta(25-35) [which was also seen with Abeta(1-40) and Abeta(1-42) but not with the inactive peptide Abeta(40-1)] consisted of an EGTA-sensitive and an EGTA-resistant component, of which the latter was also sensitive to DTT. Hydrogen peroxide increased basal phosphoinositide breakdown in rat brain miniprisms and decreased the responses to noradrenaline, carbachol and veratrine. The specific binding of [3H]inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate ([3H]Ins(1,4,5)P3) to its receptor recognition site in human platelet membranes was increased by Abeta(25-35) but remained unchanged following hydrogen peroxide treatment. It is concluded that under conditions where production of hydroxyl radicals from hydrogen peroxide is blocked, hydrogen peroxide and Abeta(25-35) produce their effects on calcium by affecting the mobilisation of intracellular calcium. The qualitative differences in the calcium responses of these two agents can be explained (a) by an additional effect of Abeta(25-35) upon calcium entry and (b) by differences in their effects upon the Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptor.

The sulphydryl oxidizing reagent diamide affects phosphoinositide-mediated signal transduction: implications for the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease

In fura-2-labelled human platelets, the thiol oxidising agent diamide decreases the intracellular calcium response to thrombin and serotonin without affecting the basal calcium levels. The effect of diamide on the thrombin response could be prevented by pre-treatment with dithiothreitol (DTT) and reduced when DTT was added 60 s after diamide. The effects of diamide and hydrogen peroxide on the thrombin response were additive. Hydrogen peroxide also produced a calcium response per se, but this response was not affected by diamide. Hydrogen peroxide increased rat brain phosphoinositide hydrolysis and reduced the response to carbachol and noradrenaline, whereas diamide was without effect. The binding of [3H]inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate to human platelet membranes was inhibited by diamide but not by hydrogen peroxide. Thus diamide affects the phosphoinositide signal transduction pathway in a qualitatively different manner from that found with hydrogen peroxide. It is suggested that oxidative stress may contribute to the disturbances in the phosphoinositide transduction pathway that are found in Alzheimer's disease.