Stimulation of lipolytic enzymes in Alzheimer's disease.

The activities of monoacylglycerol and diacylglycerol lipases were 6 to 8 times higher in plasma membrane and synaptosomal plasma membrane fractions of nucleus basalis from patients with Alzheimer's disease than in those membranes from normal human brains. Membranes from the hippocampus region of Alzheimer-affected brains also showed consistently higher activities of monoacylglycerol and diacylglycerol lipases than those from control brains. These results indicate a stimulation of lipolytic enzymes in nucleus basalis and hippocampus regions in patients with Alzheimer's disease.