Proton Stimulation Targeting Plaque Magnetite Reduces Amyloid-β Plaque and Iron Redox Toxicity and Improves Memory in an Alzheimer’s Disease Mouse Model
Affiliations: [a]
Department of Biomedical Engineering & Radiology, School of Medicine, Daegu Catholic University, Daegu, Korea
| [b]
Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Daegu Catholic University, Daegu, Korea
Correspondence:
[*]
Correspondence to: Jong-Ki Kim, Department of Biomedical Engineering & Radiology, School of Medicine, Daegu Catholic University, Daegu 42472 Korea. E-mail: jkkim@cu.ac.kr.
Note: [1] These authors contributed equally to this work.
Abstract: Background:The coexistence of magnetite within protein aggregates in the brain is a typical pathologic feature of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and the formation of amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques induces critical impairment of cognitive function. Objective:This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of proton stimulation (PS) targeting plaque magnetite in the transgenic AD mouse brain. Methods:A proton transmission beam was applied to the whole mouse brain at a single entrance dose of 2 or 4 Gy to test the effect of disruption of magnetite-containing Aβ plaques by electron emission from magnetite. The reduction in Aβ plaque burden and the cognitive function of the PS-treated mouse group were assayed by histochemical analysis and memory tests, respectively. Aβ-magnetite and Aβ fibrils were treated with PS to investigate the breakdown of the amyloid protein matrix. Results:Single PS induced a 48–87%reduction in both the amyloid plaque burden and ferrous-containing magnetite level in the early-onset AD mouse brain while saving normal tissue. The overall Aβ plaque burden (68–82%) and (94–97%) hippocampal magnetite levels were reduced in late onset AD mice that showed improvements in cognitive function after PS compared with untreated AD mice (p < 0.001). Analysis of amyloid fibrils after exposure to a single 2 or 4 Gy proton transmission beam demonstrated that the protein matrix was broken down only in magnetite-associated Aβ fibrils. Conclusion:Single PS targeting plaque magnetite effectively decreases the amyloid plaque burden and the ferrous-containing magnetite level, and this effect is useful for memory recovery.
