beta-Amyloid induces neuritic dystrophy in vitro: similarities with Alzheimer pathology.

beta-Amyloid protein, the major component of neuritic plaques found in Alzheimer's disease, has been implicated as a potential contributor to the disease's progressive neuropathology. We report that within a two day exposure to aggregates of synthetic beta-amyloid peptide, the neurites of cultured rat hippocampal neurons adopt a dystrophic appearance. Observed morphological changes in the neurites include beading, fragmentation, terminal swelling and tortuous growth patterns. The degenerative changes are similar to those observed in neurites associated with neuritic plaques, suggesting that beta-amyloid may induce the neuritic abnormalities of Alzheimer neuropathology.