Neuronal RNA oxidation is a prominent feature of dementia with Lewy bodies.

Abstract

An approach was used to identify the oxidized nucleoside, 8-hydroxyguanosine in brains of dementia with Lewy bodies. Neurons with marked immunoreaction of 8-hydroxyguanosine in the cytoplasm were widely distributed in the hippocampal region and temporal neocortex. Relative intensity measurements of neuronal 8-hydroxyguanosine immunoreactivity showed that there was a significant increase in nucleic acid oxidation in dementia with Lewy bodies compared with controls. Treatment with nuclease (DNase or RNase) before the immunostaining demonstrated that RNA was a major site of nucleic acid oxidation. Together with the previously reported RNA oxidation in vulnerable neurons in Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases, neuronal RNA oxidation in dementia with Lewy bodies might represent one of the fundamental abnormalities in age-associated neurodegenerative diseases.

• Authors: Akihiko Nunomura, Shigeru Chiba, Kenji Kosaka, Atsushi Takeda, Rudy J Castellani, Mark A Smith, George Perry
• Journal: Neuroreport (Neuroreport) Vol. 13 Issue 16 Pg. 2035-9 (Nov 15 2002) ISSN: 0959-4965 [Print] England
• PMID: 12438921 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Guanosine
• 8-hydroxyguanosine
• Deoxyribonucleases
• Ribonucleases

Topics

• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Autopsy
• Deoxyribonucleases (metabolism)
• Female
• Guanosine (analogs & derivatives, metabolism)
• Hippocampus (metabolism)
• Humans
• Immunohistochemistry
• Lewy Body Disease (metabolism)
• Male
• Ribonucleases (metabolism)
• Temporal Lobe (metabolism)