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Hamsafar Y, Chen Q, Borowsky AD, Beach TG, Serrano GE, Sue LI, Adler CH, Walker DG, Dugger BN. Biochemical analyses of tau and other neuronal markers in the submandibular gland and frontal cortex across stages of Alzheimer disease. Neurosci Lett 2023; 810:137330. [PMID: 37330193 PMCID: PMC11006283 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2023.137330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Hyperphosphorylation of the microtubule-associated protein tau is hypothesized to lead to the development of neurofibrillary tangles in select brain regions during normal aging and in Alzheimer disease (AD). The distribution of neurofibrillary tangles is staged by its involvement starting in the transentorhinal regions of the brain and in final stages progress to neocortices. However, it has also been determined neurofibrillary tangles can extend into the spinal cord and select tau species are found in peripheral tissues and this may be depended on AD disease stage. To further understand the relationships of peripheral tissues to AD, we utilized biochemical methods to evaluate protein levels of total tau and phosphorylated tau (p-tau) as well as other neuronal proteins (i.e., tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), neurofilament heavy chain (NF-H), and microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2)) in the submandibular gland and frontal cortex of human cases across different clinicopathological stages of AD (n = 3 criteria not met or low, n = 6 intermediate, and n = 9 high likelihood that dementia is due to AD based on National Institute on Aging-Reagan criteria). We report differential protein levels based on the stage of AD, anatomic specific tau species, as well as differences in TH and NF-H. In addition, exploratory findings were made of the high molecular weight tau species big tau that is unique to peripheral tissues. Although sample sizes were small, these findings are, to our knowledge, the first comparison of these specific protein changes in these tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yamah Hamsafar
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California Davis Medical Center, 4400 V Street, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Qian Chen
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California Davis Medical Center, 4400 V Street, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Alexander D Borowsky
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California Davis Medical Center, 4400 V Street, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Thomas G Beach
- Banner Sun Health Research Institute, 10515 W Santa Fe Dr., Sun City, AZ 95351, USA
| | - Geidy E Serrano
- Banner Sun Health Research Institute, 10515 W Santa Fe Dr., Sun City, AZ 95351, USA
| | - Lucia I Sue
- Banner Sun Health Research Institute, 10515 W Santa Fe Dr., Sun City, AZ 95351, USA
| | - Charles H Adler
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic Arizona, 13400 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale, AZ 85259, USA
| | - Douglas G Walker
- School of Life Sciences and Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, 1151 S. Forest Ave., Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Brittany N Dugger
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California Davis Medical Center, 4400 V Street, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA.
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