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Knowledge of aging-related tau astrogliopathy (ARTAG) in healthy elderly individuals remains incomplete and studies to date have not focused on the olfactory nerve, which is a vulnerable site of various neurodegenerative disease pathologies. We performed a semiquantitative evaluation of ARTAG in 110 autopsies in the Japanese general population (Hisayama study). Our analysis focused on Alzheimer disease (AD) and cognitive healthy cases (HC), including primary age-related tauopathy. Among the various diseased and nondiseased brains, ARTAG was frequently observed in the amygdala. The ARTAG of HC was exclusively limited to the amygdala whereas gray matter ARTAG in AD cases was prominent in the putamen and middle frontal gyrus following the amygdala. ARTAG of the olfactory nerve mainly consists of subpial pathology that was milder in the amygdala. A logistic regression analysis revealed that age at death and neurofibrillary tangle Braak stage significantly affected the ARTAG of HC. In AD, age at death and male gender had significant effects on ARTAG. In addition, the Thal phase significantly affected the presence of white matter ARTAG. In conclusion, our research revealed differences in the distribution of ARTAG and affected variables across AD and HC individuals.

DOI： 10.1093/jnen/nlab126

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Various heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs) are deposited in pathological inclusions of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and related diseases, such as frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). Recently, poly (rC)-binding protein 2 (PCBP2, hnRNP-E2), a member of the hnRNP family, was reported to be colocalized with transactivation-responsive DNA-binding protein 43 kDa (TDP-43)-immunopositive inclusions in cases of FTLD-TDP. Here, we used immunohistochemical methods to investigate PCBP1 and PCBP2 expression in the spinal cords of sporadic ALS patients, with special reference to TDP-43-positive inclusions. Thirty autopsy cases of sporadic ALS were examined by immunohistochemistry using antibodies against PCBP1, PCBP2, sequestosome 1 (p62), and TDP-43. In control subjects without neurological disorders, neurons predominantly expressed PCBP2, rather than PCBP1, in their cytoplasm and nuclei. Anterior horn cells of sporadic ALS patients often had various levels of PCBP2 expression, and motor neurons with skein-like inclusions often had reduced or lost cytoplasmic and nuclear PCBP2 staining. Notably, one case with FTLD-TDP subtype B pathology had marked colocalization of TDP-43 and PCBP2 in the cytoplasmic inclusions and dystrophic neurites of the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and spinal cord. In conclusion, PCBP2 was reduced in anterior horn cells of sporadic ALS, but its occurrence in TDP-43 inclusions was a rare phenomenon.

DOI： 10.1093/jnen/nlaa148

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Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a rare autosomal dominant disease, characterized by the progressive ossification of skeletal muscles, fascia, tendons, and ligaments. In most cases, the great toes of patients show symmetrical congenital malformations. The causative gene for FOP has been identified as the activin A receptor, type 1 (ACVR1) gene (ACVR1). The ACVR1 R206H mutation is the most common mutation among FOP patients, and the ACVR1 G356D mutation has been identified as a rare mutation in a Japanese FOP patient with slow progression. In addition to musculoskeletal abnormalities, a series of autopsy studies described one FOP case, without genetic testing to identify ACVR1 mutation, showing nodular heterotopia at the edge of the fourth ventricle. Here, we report the general autopsy findings for a 75-year-old man with FOP, caused by the ACVR1 G356D mutation, including the precise examination of brainstem lesions. Postmortem examination revealed unique symmetrical glial hyperplasia of the pons and medulla oblongata. Microscopically, lesions of the pons involving residual neurons and lesions of the medulla oblongata consisted of subependymal cells. Immunohistochemical analysis of these lesions revealed developmental anomalies, with different cellular components. In this report, for the first time, we present the neuropathological description of a patient with genetically confirmed FOP and symmetrical glial hyperplasia of the pons and medulla oblongata. The presented pathological findings, in conjunction with previous reports implying that the glial hyperplasia of the brainstem is common in FOP, suggest that ACVR1 may play an unclarified developmental role in the human brainstem.

DOI： 10.1111/neup.12715

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Previous studies have revealed risk for cognitive impairment in cardiovascular diseases. We investigated the relationship between degenerative changes of the brain and heart, with reference to Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathologies, cardiac transthyretin amyloid (ATTR) deposition, and cardiac fibrosis. A total of 240 consecutive autopsy cases of a Japanese population-based study were examined. β amyloid (Aβ) of senile plaques, phosphorylated tau protein of neurofibrillary tangles, and ATTR in the hearts were immunohistochemically detected and graded according to the NIH-AA guideline for AD pathology and as Tanskanen reported, respectively. Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) was graded according to the Vonsattel scale. Cardiac fibrosis was detected by picrosirius red staining, followed by image analysis. Cardiac ATTR deposition occurred after age 75 years and increased in an age-dependent manner. ATTR deposition was more common, and of higher grades, in the dementia cases. We subdivided the cases into two age groups: ≤90 years old (n = 173) and >90 years old (n = 67), which was the mean and median age at death of the AD cases. When adjusted for age and sex, TTR deposition grades correlated with Aβ phase score (A2-3), the Consortium to Establish a Registry for AD score (sparse to frequent), and high Braak stage (V-VI) only in those aged ≤90 years at death. No significant correlation was observed between the cardiac ATTR deposition and CAA stages, or between cardiac fibrosis and AD pathologies. Collectively, AD brain pathology correlated with cardiac TTR deposition among the older adults ≤90 years.

DOI： 10.1111/bpa.13014

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Spastic paraplegia type 11 (SPG11) is the most common autosomal recessive hereditary spastic paraplegia with thinning of the corpus callosum. Spatacsin, a protein encoded by the SPG11 gene, is associated with autophagy. SPG11 patients show spastic paraplegia, intellectual disability, dementia, and parkinsonism. A previous neuropathological analysis of SPG11 cases reported neurodegeneration mimicking amyotrophic lateral sclerosis without transactivation response DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43) deposits and unique sequestosome 1 (SQSTM1)-positive neuronal inclusions. We performed a neuropathological examination of two Japanese patients with complicated spastic paraplegia with thinning of the corpus callosum from different families, and one was genetically diagnosed as having SPG11. Both cases showed diffuse atrophy of the brain and spinal cord. Depigmentation of the substantia nigra was also observed. Immunohistochemistry revealed widespread distribution of areas showing TDP-43 aggregation in the central nervous system. The TDP-43 deposits in the thalamus and substantia nigra especially resembled skein-like inclusions. Unique SQSTM1-positive neuronal inclusions, as previously reported, were widespread in the whole central nervous system as well as the dorsal root ganglia. Double-labeling immunofluorescence of the dorsal root ganglia revealed that the unique, large SQSTM1-positive cytoplasmic inclusions of the ganglion cells were labeled with lysosome-associated membrane protein 1 and lysosome-associated membrane protein 2. This is the first report showing TDP-43 pathology in SPG11. The common neuropathological findings of TDP-43-positive inclusions in both the cases imply a causal connection between the TDP-43 proteinopathy and autophagy dysfunction in SPG11.

DOI： 10.1111/neup.12733

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Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Frontiers Media SA  

Targeting the unique glioma immune microenvironment is a promising approach in developing breakthrough immunotherapy treatments. However, recent advances in immunotherapy, including the development of immune checkpoint inhibitors, have not improved the outcomes of patients with glioma. A way of monitoring biological activity of immune cells in neural tissues affected by glioma should be developed to address this lack of sensitivity to immunotherapy. Thus, in this study, we sought to examine the feasibility of non-invasive monitoring of glioma-associated microglia/macrophages (GAM) by utilizing our previously developed induced microglia-like (iMG) cells. Primary microglia (pMG) were isolated from surgically obtained brain tissues of 22 patients with neurological diseases. iMG cells were produced from monocytes extracted from the patients’ peripheral blood. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) revealed a significant correlation of the expression levels of representative markers for M1 and M2 microglia phenotypes between pMG and the corresponding iMG cells in each patient (Spearman’s correlation coefficient = 0.5225, <italic>P &amp;lt;</italic>0.0001). Synchronous upregulation of CD206 expression levels was observed in most patients with glioma (6/9, 66.7%) and almost all patients with glioblastoma (4/5, 80%). Therefore, iMG cells can be used as a minimally invasive tool for monitoring the disease-related immunological state of GAM in various brain diseases, including glioma. CD206 upregulation detected in iMG cells can be used as a surrogate biomarker of glioma.

DOI： 10.3389/fimmu.2021.670131

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Introduction: We have conducted the pathological cohort study of autopsied cases of Hisayama residents to reveal a recent trend of dementia-related pathology. We noticed a trend of putaminal involvement of Alzheimer's disease (AD) with parkinsonism. Then, we investigated the accurate prevalence of neurological diseases with putaminal AD pathology in the general population. Methods: We examined a series of 291 autopsies in the Hisayama study and performed image analysis of immunohistochemistry for microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) and amyloid β. Results: Approximately 65.6% and 36.1% of cases showed putaminal MAPT and amyloid deposits, respectively. Diffuse deposits of them were mainly found in the AD cases. Putaminal MAPT was highly associated with AD-related pathological criteria. Four of 22 cases with severe putaminal MAPT deposition were documented as having developed parkinsonism. Discussion: Severe MAPT accumulation in the basal ganglia was closely related to the development of AD pathology and could occur most frequently in AD cases without comorbidities.

DOI： 10.1016/j.dadm.2019.04.008

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<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title>
<jats:p>Annexin A1 (ANXA1) has multiple functions, including anti-inflammatory effects, and is thought to be neuroprotective in various pathophysiologies of the central nervous system. The importance of ANXA1 in microglia and endothelial cells in ischemic environments in the brain has been recognized, but its detailed behavior in astrocytes in the ischemic brain remains unknown. Using immunohistochemistry, we therefore assessed the altered distribution of ANXA1 in human brain infarcts using 14 autopsied samples and 18 surgical samples. Elevated expression of ANXA1 was observed in reactive astrocytes in peri-infarct regions. ANXA1 accumulated at the cell periphery and in swollen cytoplasmic processes of reactive astrocytes, as well as at the rim of vacuoles at the boundary of necrosis, and colocalized with aberrantly distributed aquaporin 4 and excitatory amino acid transporter 1. Foamy macrophages in the necrotic core also expressed abundant ANXA1, whereas resident microglia at the boundary of necrosis rarely showed intrinsic expression of ANXA1. This characteristic distribution of ANXA1 in human brain infarcts may represent the good adaptability of reactive astrocytes to ischemic damage.</jats:p>

DOI： 10.1093/jnen/nlz079

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<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title>
<jats:p>Human prion diseases including sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD), inherited prion diseases, and acquired human prion diseases are lethal neurodegenerative diseases. One of the major sources of iatrogenic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease was human growth hormone (hGH-iCJD) derived from contaminated cadaveric pituitaries. The incidence of hGH-iCJD has decreased since changing from growth hormone extracted from human cadaveric pituitaries to recombinant pituitary hormones. However, extensive analysis on the localization and detecting of abnormal prion protein in the pituitary gland are limited. In this study, we examined 9 autopsied brains and pituitary glands from 6 patients with prion disease (3 Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease, 2 sCJD, and 1 dura mater graft-associated CJD) and 3 individuals with nonprion diseases. Western blot analysis of pituitary samples demonstrated unique glycoforms of normal cellular prion protein with molecular weights of 30–40 kDa, which was higher than the typical 25–35 kDa prion protein in brains. Proteomic analysis also revealed prion protein approximately the molecular weight of 40 kDa in pituitary samples. Moreover, proteinase K-resistant Prion protein was frequently detected in pituitary samples of the prion diseases. Immunohistochemistry for Prion protein revealed mosaic cellular distribution preferentially in growth hormone- or prolactin-producing cells.</jats:p>

DOI： 10.1093/jnen/nlz075

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Dynactin forms a protein complex with dynein that retrogradely transports cargo along microtubules. Dysfunction of this dynein-dynactin complex causes several neurodegenerative diseases such as Perry syndrome, motor neuron diseases and progressive supranuclear palsy. Recently, we reported colocalization of phosphorylated α-synuclein (p-SNCA) and the largest subunit of dynactin (DCTN1) in Lewy body (LB)-like structures in Perry syndrome. Previous reports have not focused on the relationship between dynactin and synucleinopathies. Thus, we examined autopsied human brains from patients with Parkinson's disease, dementia with LBs, and multiple system atrophy using immunohistochemistry for p-SNCA, DCTN1, dynactin 2 (DCTN2, dynamitin) and dynein cytoplasmic 1 intermediate chain 1 (DYNC1I1). We also examined microtubule affinity-regulating kinases (MARKs), which phosphorylate microtubule-associated proteins and trigger microtubule disruption. Both brainstem-type and cortical LBs were immunopositive for DCTN1, DCTN2, DYNC1I1 and p-MARK and their staining often overlapped with p-SNCA. Lewy neurites were also immunopositive for DCTN1, DCTN2 and DYNC1I1. However, p-SNCA-positive inclusions of multiple system atrophy, which included both glial and neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions, were immunonegative for DCTN1, DCTN2, DYNC1I1 and p-MARK. Thus, immunohistochemistry for dynein-dynactin complex molecules, especially DCTN1, can clearly distinguish LBs from neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions. Our results suggest that dynactin is closely associated with LB pathology.

DOI： 10.1111/neup.12512

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DOI： 10.1111/bpa.12603

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The protein μ-crystallin (CRYM) is a novel component of the marsupial lens that has two functions: it is a key regulator of thyroid hormone transportation and a reductase of sulfur-containing cyclic ketimines. In this study, we examined changes of the expression pattern of CRYM in different rat organs during development using immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting. As CRYM is reportedly expressed in the corticospinal tract, we also investigated CRYM expression in human cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) using immunohistochemistry. In the rat brain, CRYM was expressed in the cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, hippocampus and corticospinal tract in the early postnatal period. As postnatal development progressed, CRYM expression was restricted to large pyramidal neurons in layers V and VI of the cerebral cortex and pyramidal cells in the deep layer of CA1 in the hippocampus. Even within the same regions, CRYM-positive and negative neurons were distributed in a mosaic pattern. In the kidney, CRYM was expressed in epithelial cells of the proximal tubule and mesenchymal cells of the medulla in the early postnatal period; however, CRYM expression in the medulla was lost as mesenchymal cell numbers decreased with the rapid growth of the medulla. In human ALS brains, we observed marked loss of CRYM in the corticospinal tract, especially distally. Our results suggest that CRYM may play roles in development of cortical and hippocampal pyramidal cells in the early postnatal period, and in the later period, performs cell-specific functions in selected neuronal populations. In the kidney, CRYM may play roles in maturation of renal function. The expression patterns of CRYM may reflect significance of its interactions with T3 or ketimines in these cells and organs. The results also indicate that CRYM may be used as a marker of axonal degeneration in the corticospinal tract.

DOI： 10.1111/neup.12466

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INTRODUCTION: Perry syndrome is a rapidly progressive, autosomal dominant parkinsonism characterized by central hypoventilation, depression and severe weight loss. To date, eight DCTN1 mutations have been identified associated with Perry syndrome. A novel F52L DCTN1 mutation case of Perry syndrome is characterized by late-onset parkinsonism and frontotemporal atrophy. METHODS: A Japanese woman suffered from slowly progressing parkinsonism since age 48. At age 59, she developed central hypoventilation, and required breathing assistance. Gene analysis identified a p.F52L mutation in DCTN1 and she was diagnosed with Perry syndrome. She died of aspiration pneumonia at age 74. RESULTS: Postmortem examination revealed severe neuronal loss in the substantia nigra and the putamen. Immunohistochemistry for DCTN1 revealed many abnormal aggregates, mainly in neurons in the brainstem and basal ganglia. Additionally, numerous abnormal phosphorylated tau deposits including neurofibrillary tangles, tuft-shaped astrocytes and coiled bodies were observed mainly in the basal ganglia, brainstem and cerebellum. These correspond with the neuropathologic criteria for progressive supranuclear palsy. Colocalization of DCTN1 and tau were occasionally seen. Colocalization of phosphorylated α-synuclein and DCTN1 were also observed in Lewy body-like structures in oculomotor nuclei. Phosphorylated TARDBP-positive neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions were few. CONCLUSION: In conjunction with long disease duration and aging, our findings suggest that the F52L DCTN1 mutation may evoke severe tauopathy and moderate α-synucleinopathy.

DOI： 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2018.02.038

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Adipocyte enhancer binding protein 1 (AEBP1) activates inflammatory responses via the NF-κB pathway in macrophages and regulates adipogenesis in preadipocytes. Up-regulation of AEBP1 in the hippocampi of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been revealed by microarray analyses of autopsied brains from the Japanese general population (the Hisayama study). In this study, we compared the expression patterns of AEBP1 in normal and AD brains, including in the hippocampus, using immunohistochemistry. The subjects were 24 AD cases and 52 non-AD cases. Brain specimens were immunostained with antibodies against AEBP1, tau protein, amyloid β protein, NF-κB, GFAP and Iba-1. In normal brains, AEBP1 immunoreactivity mainly localized to the perikarya of hippocampal pyramidal neurons, and its expression was elevated in the pyramidal neurons and some astrocytes in AD hippocampi. Although AEBP1 immunoreactivity was almost absent in neurons containing neurofibrillary tangles, AEBP1 was highly expressed in neurons with pretangles and in the tau-immunopositive, dystrophic neurites of senile plaques. Nuclear localization of NF-κB was also observed in certain AEBP1-positive neurons in AD cases. Comparison of AD and non-AD cases suggested a positive correlation between the expression level of AEBP1 and the degree of amyloid β pathology. These findings imply that AEBP1 protein has a role in the progression of AD pathology.

DOI： 10.1111/bpa.12475

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In normal brain, neurons in the cortex and hippocampus produce insulin, which modulates glucose metabolism and cognitive functions. It has been shown that insulin resistance impairs glucose metabolism and mitochondrial function, thus increasing production of reactive oxygen species. Recent progress in Alzheimer's disease (AD) research revealed that insulin production and signaling are severely impaired in AD brain, thereby resulting in mitochondrial dysfunction and increased oxidative stress. Among possible oxidative DNA lesions, 8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG) is highly accumulated in the brain of AD patients. Previously we have shown that incorporating 8-oxoG in nuclear and mitochondrial DNA promotes MUTYH (adenine DNA glycosylase) dependent neurodegeneration. Moreover, cortical neurons prepared from MTH1 (8-oxo-dGTPase)/OGG1 (8-oxoG DNA glycosylase)-double deficient adult mouse brains is shown to exhibit significantly poor neuritogenesis in vitro with increased 8-oxoG accumulation in mitochondrial DNA in the absence of antioxidants. Therefore, 8-oxoG can be considered involved in the neurodegenerative process in AD brain. In mild cognitive impairment, mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative damage may induce synaptic dysfunction due to energy failures in neurons thus resulting in impaired cognitive function. If such abnormality lasts long, it can lead to vicious cycles of oxidative damage, which may then trigger the neurodegenerative process seen in Alzheimer type dementia.

DOI： 10.1016/j.mad.2016.05.005

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：IOS Press  

DOI： 10.3233/JAD-160521

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We investigated the trends in dementia over the past 29 years in the town of Hisayama, Japan using 1266 autopsy specimens. The Hisayama study is a prospective cohort study of lifestyle-related diseases that was started in 1961. Clinical examination of dementia was started in 1985 with five detailed cross-sectional assessments conducted in 1985, 1992, 1998, 2005 and 2012. To examine the trends in dementia, we divided the 1266 autopsy samples into five groups according to the year of death: I (1986-1991, 257 cases), II (1992-1997, 268 cases), III (1998-2004, 318 cases), IV (2005-2011, 296 cases) and V (2012-2014, 127 cases). The prevalence of all-cause dementia significantly increased over time (28.4% in group I, 22.4% in group II, 32.1% in group III, 30.1% in group IV, 51.2% in group V; P for trend &lt; 0.001). A similar trend was observed for Alzheimer's disease (AD) (15.2%, 11.9%, 17.3%, 20.6% and 33.1%, respectively; P for trend &lt; 0.001). A significant increasing trend was observed in both men and women. A rapid increase in senile dementia of the NFT type (SD-NFT) in recent years was notable. Vascular dementia was the most common type of dementia in men prior to 2004; however, its prevalence decreased over time. Our study revealed that tauopathies, including AD and SD-NFT, significantly increased in the aged Japanese population over the course of this study. The neuritic plaque pathology of AD was associated with metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance and abnormal lipid metabolism, whereas the risk factors for tau pathology remain unclear. Although aging is considered one of the important risk factors accelerating tau pathology, there could be other risk factors associated with lifestyle diseases.

DOI： 10.1111/neup.12298

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Wiley  

DOI： 10.1111/neup.12298

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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by loss of motor neurons and appearance of skein-like inclusions. The inclusions are composed of trans-activation response (TAR) DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43), a member of the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) family. hnRNPA1 and hnRNPA2/B1 are hnRNPs that interact with the C-terminus of TDP-43. Using immunohistochemistry, we investigated the association between TDP-43 and hnRNPA1 in ALS spinal motor neurons. We examined spinal cords of seven ALS cases and six muscular dystrophy cases (used as controls) for the presence of TDP-43 and hnRNPA1 protein. In the control cases, hnRNPA1 immunoreactivity in motor neurons was intense in the nucleus and weak in the cytoplasm where it showed a fine granular appearance. In the ALS cases, hnRNPA1 immunoreactivity in motor neurons was reduced in the nuclei of neurons with skein-like inclusions but was not detected in the skein-like inclusions. The marked loss of hnRNPA1 in motor neurons with concomitant cytoplasmic aggregation of TDP-43 may represent a severe disturbance of mRNA processing, suggesting a key role in progressive neuronal death in ALS.

DOI： 10.1111/neup.12153

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Fatty acid synthase (FASN) and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1C (CPT1C), a brain-specific isoform of the CPT1 family, are upregulated in certain types of cancers, including gliomas. Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) catalyzes the carboxylation of acetyl-CoA to malonylCoA, the rate-limiting step in fatty acid synthesis, and its phosphorylated form inhibits lipid synthesis. We examined the expression and subcellular localization of these fatty acid metabolism-related molecules in human gliomas. We performed immunostaining of two glioma cell lines (U373MG and U87MG) and 41 surgical specimens of diffuse gliomas with various histological grades (21 with the isocitrate dehydrogenase 1(IDH1) R132H mutation and 20 without the mutation). In the cultured glioma cells, CPT1C and phosphorylated ACC (p-ACC) were mainly localized to the nuclei, whereas FASN localized to the cytoplasm. In the surgical specimens, most glioma tissues showed nuclear staining for CPT1C and p-ACC, and cytoplasmic staining for FASN, regardless of the genetic status of IDH1 and the histological grade. Therefore, elevated cytoplasmic expression of FASN and nuclear localization of CPT1C are common among human diffuse gliomas, which may be regulated by the differential phosphorylation status of ACC in the cellular compartment.

DOI： 10.1111/neup.12132

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We found that mRNA of MET, the receptor of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), is significantly decreased in the hippocampus of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. Therefore, we tried to determine the cellular component-dependent changes of MET expressions. In this study, we examined cellular distribution of MET in the cerebral neocortices and hippocampi of 12 AD and 11 normal controls without brain diseases. In normal brains, MET immunoreactivity was observed in the neuronal perikarya and a subpopulation of astrocytes mainly in the subpial layer and white matter. In AD brains, we found marked decline of MET in hippocampal pyramidal neurons and granule cells of dentate gyrus. The decline was more obvious in the pyramidal neurons of the hippocampi than that in the neocortical neurons. In addition, we found strong MET immunostaining in reactive astrocytes, including those near senile plaques. Given the neurotrophic effects of the HGF/MET pathway, this decline may adversely affect neuronal survival in AD cases. Because it has been reported that HGF is also up-regulated around senile plaques, β-amyloid deposition might be associated with astrocytosis through the HGF signaling pathway.

DOI： 10.1111/neup.12095

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