ScienceAsia 18 (1992): 121-128 |doi: 10.2306/scienceasia1513-1874.1992.18.121

REDUCTION OF CALBINDIN mRNA EXPRESSION IN THE TEMPORAL CORTEX IN ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE.

W. THANGNIPON,¹ N. IWAMOTO,² H. KIYAMA,² R.L.M. FAULL³ 3 and P. C. EMSON²

ABSTRACT: An alkaline phosphatase-labelled antisense oligonucleotide probe specific for the mRNA of the important caldum binding protein (calbindin D_28K) was used in non-radioactive hybridisation histochemical studies of normal post-mortem human brain and the brains From patients with Alzheimer-type dementia (ATD). The results revealed a significant decrease in calbindin mRNA signal from hippocampal neurones especially in the dentate gyrus (granule cells) and Ammon's horn (pyramidal. cells). The loss of calbindin mRNA signal indicates that calbindin containing neurones are affected in ATD and suggests that a reduction in calcium binding or buffering capacity predisposes these key neurones to damage in ATD.

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1 Neuro- Behavioural Biology Center, Institute of Science and Technology for Development, Mahidol University, Salaya, Nakom Pathom 73170, Thailand.
2 MRC Group, AFRC, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics Research, Babraham, Cambridge, CB2 4AT, U.K.
3 Department of Anatomy; School of Medicine; University of Auckland, Auckland; New Zealand.

Received May 20, 1992