Apoptotic cell death induced by beta-amyloid 1-42 peptide is cell type dependent.

beta-Amyloid peptide (A beta), a proteolytic fragment of the beta-amyloid precursor protein, is a major component of senile plaques in the brain of Alzheimer's disease patients. This neuropathological feature is accompanied by increased neuronal cell loss in the brain and there is evidence that A beta is directly neurotoxic. In the present study reduced cell viability in four different neuroblastoma cell types was observed after treatment with human A beta 1-42 for 1 day. Of the cell types tested rat PC12 and human IMR32 cells were most susceptible to A beta toxicity. Chromosomal condensation and fragmentation of nuclei were seen in PC12, NB2a, and B104 cells but not in IMR32 cells irrespective of their high sensitivity to A beta. Electrophoretic analysis of cellular DNA confirmed internucleosomal DNA fragmentation typical for apoptosis in all cell types except IMR32. These findings suggest that the form of A beta-induced cell death (necrosis or apoptosis) may depend on the cell type.